Neogenic Nightmare 2012
by rozisa
Summary: Peter Parker's superpowers are going wonky and he asks Dr. Banner for help. A rewrite of Neogenic Nightmare with Dr. Banner filling in for Dr. Conner. I loved the Spiderman cartoon that ran on Fox in the 1990's. This is a sequel to Safety First. Tony/Bruce. Slash warning.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I apologize in advance. I'm a total Peter Parker/Mary Jane Watson Parker shipper. My first experience with Spiderman was the 1990's cartoon on Fox. When I had read the comics, Peter and Mary Jane were already married. I also seen the three previous movies multiple times each.

Disclaimer time: I don't own Spiderman or the Avengers or any other characters that belong to Marvel.

xxxx

While Bruce was in the lab working on the physics of traveling back in time, Jarvis said, "Dr. Banner, Spiderman is on the helio-pad. Do you want me to ask him to leave?"

"Tell Mr. Parker I'll meet him there." Bruce saved his data then shut down the program he was working on. Still in his lab coat, Bruce took the elevator to the roof. "Mr. Parker, we meet, again."

Spiderman didn't remove his mask. "I need your help. May I come to your lab? I would like you to draw my blood. I figured you would have the facilities for dealing with radioactive blood."

"You figured right," said Bruce. "We can drop the facade. Peter, may I call you Peter?"

Peter removed his mask to show his face. "My powers are unstable. I didn't know where else to turn."

Bruce put an arm around the boy. "Let's get to the lab and then we'll talk."

"Sorry, I'm a bit nervous," said Peter. "Seeing you in that lab coat makes me think of Curt Conners."

"I have two arms and I'm a monster all of the time." Bruce tried to give Peter a reassuring smile. "The tower and the lab belong to my husband and I, so I don't have to report to anyone but our CEO and stockholders."

"That is suppose to make me more comfortable?"

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "You came to see me."

Getting into the elevator, Peter said, "I get an advanced warning when I'm in danger. No warning, yet."

"Jarvis, my bio lab, please," Bruce said as the doors shut.

"Yes, sir," said the AI.

"Bug boy, catch puny snake thing." Bruce pinned the boy to the wall of the elevator with his arms. Bruce's memory of the Hulk throwing the snake man at Spiderman was foggy, but Tony had told him all the good parts. He didn't want to hurt the boy, only scare him enough to let him know that threatening the Hulk was never a good idea. "I heard the other guy got you back for threatening me at a charity dinner, so we're even."

Peter said, "Dr. Banner, I don't want my face in the newspaper and I have lot less to lose than you."

With his arms leaning against the walls of the elevator, Bruce, practically touching the boy, noticed the odor - spider pheromones - like a million spiders were in the elevator with him or one very big one. Backing away from the boy, Bruce whispered, "I'm sorry, very sorry."

When the door of elevator opened, Peter got out. "You're mental."

"And you smell like spiders, so a mad scientist may be just what the doctor ordered." Bruce walked over to the door of the lab and entered the access code. After they were inside the secured lab, Bruce directed Peter to a seat. "Please, sit." After washing up and putting on latex gloves, Bruce prepared a sterile syringe. "You will feel a sting."

"I'm sorry I called you mental."

"All the Avengers are mentally ill, except for Thor, and he only helped out because Loki is his brother."

Peter got into Bruce's face. "Captain America isn't mentally ill."

"He doesn't have the laundry list of mental problems that Tony and I have, but Captain America suffers from depression and PTSD. I would be mentally ill even if I didn't change into an enormous green rage monster as Tony puts it." After Bruce bandaged Peter's arm, Bruce said, "You can assist me if you like. Before looking at your blood, I can tell you your odor has changed in the past few weeks."

After tossing the gloves in bio-hazards receptacle, Bruce took Peter's blood then made a slide to examine under the microscope and then prepared blood to be analyzed for its chemical properties, DNA comparison and bunch of other tests.

"I wasn't trapped in a confided space with you before, so how do you know what I smelled like?" said Peter.

"The Hulk doesn't need a confided space to smell you," said Bruce. "His nose is much better than mine. You can tell a lot by a person's odor." Bruce put the slide under the electron microscope. "Your cells are changing as I look at them. That can't be good. Jarvis, compare Parker's cells to human blood and spider blood cells. Send me the analysis."

"Complying data, Sir," said the AI.

"Compare to Richard Parker's research on transgenic spiders," said Bruce.

"Will do," said the AI.

"You know about my father's research?" Peter was now looking at the cells divide and mutate on the screen.

"I looked into it after Ms. Potts told me who you were," explained Bruce. "She should have respected your secret, but people go to great lengths to keep me calm. I wonder why."

"How did she find out?" asked Peter.

"You were taking pictures of yourself and Mr. Jameson doesn't byline the photos he buys all rights to, but you have enough photos with your byline in the Daily Bugle to identify you," said Bruce. "Since the photo you took when Ms. Potts was watching from inside Stark Tower didn't make it into the paper, she compared the list of teenage freelance photographers to what she knew about Spiderman. It was a short list."

"Then my secret identity might not be much of a secret," said Peter.

"I don't think other people will go to that much trouble. Your costume is pretty form-fitting, so it is obvious you're a young man. So Ms. Potts didn't have to look at the women photographers or any men over age 30 since some men in their twenties still look like teenagers. Then you take a lot of Spiderman photos, so your actions shorten the list even further." Bruce was still looking at Peter's neogenic cells. "My cells change like that when I become the Hulk, but with you, it appeared to be constant. The question is what are you changing into?"

Peter leaned over Bruce to get a better look at the screen. "Can you tell me anything else?"

"Jarvis is analyzing your cells, but they're changing so fast it's hard to get a lock on them. If I give you something to treat your current condition, a millisecond later you will have a different condition. I'll need to find something to stop or slow the mutation before we can find any kind of treatment. Do you mind if I show your cell samples to a colleague of mine, Dr. Mariah Crawford? I won't give out your name."

"Show her. Just don't give out my name. I need to keep my aunt safe. She's all I have left in this world."

"Don't you have friends from school?" asked Bruce.

"I'm kind of a nerd and a bit of a loner," said Peter. "I like this girl, Gwen, but I promised her dad that I wouldn't go near her and she just lost her father, and looking at my cells, I'm either going to be dead or a pile of goo. So I can't bring her into this."

"I'll see what I can do to stop or slow down the mutation." Bruce put a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Dr. Crawford will need to know the sample is from Spiderman, but I'll keep your real name out of it."

Peter put his mask back on. "I'll use the front door since my powers have been wonky the last few days."

"Do you have a phone number? No, forget that. If I need to reach you, I can contact the Bugle." Bruce gave Peter a calling card. "You can reach me the fastest by email."

Bruce watched Peter leaving the lab then called Dr. Crawford's cell phone. "It's Bruce Banner. Call me back. I'll email you the details." Then as promised, Bruce wrote a long email and sent the results of Jarvis's analysis. The cells kept changing even outside Parker's body. Therefore, Dr. Crawford would need a new sample before she could help the boy.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I just got my first review (Thank you, Marz1) and the story doesn't stand alone as well as I hoped. You may need to read my story, **Safety First,** to understand why the characters are interacting as they are. In **Safety First**, Peter Parker gets in Banner's face at a charity event and hints that he knows Banner's secret followed by Tony calling Parker Spider Brat; thus, telling Parker than he knows his secret identity.

Disclaimer: Marvel owns Spiderman and the Avengers. I own nothing.

xxxx

The following morning, Dr. Banner left a message with the receptionist at the Bugle. "I'm Dr. Bruce Banner. I need Peter Parker to see me. No one else. Just Peter Parker."

A few minutes later, Peter was at the front door of Stark Tower. Over his shoulder was his camera bag and he was in his street clothes. "Jameson wants me to take pictures of your robots and interview you. I think he wants me to make you look like a whore that married Tony Stark for his money."

"I didn't marry him for the money," said Bruce. "I married him because he asked."

"He asked?" repeated Peter.

"I'll give you your shot then we'll talk off and on the record." While Bruce was giving Peter a shot, Bruce explained. "This will stop or, at least, slow the mutation. I don't know how it will effect your superpowers. I suggest no climbing tall buildings until you know how your body reacts. I called and emailed Dr. Crawford. Also another friend of mine contacted some other scientists to help find a cure, but no one has called back. This serum will buy us time."

After Peter was bandaged, Peter turned on his digital recorder. "On the record, the question everyone is asking is why did you marry Tony Stark. You had said he asked. When did he ask? And why?"

"After we had sex," Bruce admitted. "He wanted a spouse that could cook and was good in bed. I think he likes that I understand what he is saying when he talks science, but he married me for my cooking and cocksucking."

"Don't think I can print that," said Peter.

"We share the same sick sense of humor," said Bruce. "You can print that. I wasn't a business man until I started working on the Carrie Caregivers. I still don't know much about business. Tony is an engineer. I'm a bio-physicist, specializing in gamma radiation. According to SHIELD, I'm the leading authority on gamma radiation in the world. I find saying things like that awkward. Tony is the expert at tooting his own honk. When we met Tony said that I tiptoe when I should strut. We can talk while I show you Carrie Caregiver. I'm all for free advertising."

Peter followed Bruce into a lab.

"Hello, Carrie Ann," Bruce said to a boxy robot. "This is Peter Parker. I need you to test his blood."

"What blood tests should I run, Doctor Banner?" asked the robot in a female voice.

"Check his cholesterol and triglycerides, his blood sugar and his iron level," said Bruce. "You aren't afraid of needles?"

"No." Peter had already had blood drawn by Bruce for personal reasons, but Dr. Banner was asking to have it on record for the interview.

The robot rolled over to Peter. "Mr. Parker, you will feel a prick. Will you, please, remove your jacket and roll up your sleeve?"

Peter took his jacket off then rolled up his sleeve.

The robot four-fingered hands had better than human dexterity. It tested Peter's arm for a good vein then took a syringe and a vial. It didn't take much blood then, after tossing the syringe in the sharp medical hazards' receptacle, it put the vial in a compartment in its chest.

As the robot was bandaging Peter's arm, it said, "I will have your results momentarily. Thank you for your patience."

The robot gave him his test results.

"Peter, off the record," said Bruce.

Peter turned off his recording device.

"Carrie Ann, save the blood sample for later. I need to run some additional tests," said Bruce.

"Yes, Doctor," said the robot.

"Peter, you can start recording, again," said Bruce.

Peter turned the device back on.

"Carrie Ann, Mr. Parker and I would like some lunch," said Bruce. "How does spaghetti with marinara sauce sound? I have some left over garlic rolls in the refrigerator. Can you warm them with our lunch?"

"Doctor, what would you and Mr. Parker like to drink?" asked the robot.

"I'll have my red tea," said Bruce.

"Mr. Parker?" asked the robot.

"Soda, anything but diet," said the teenager.

Peter took photos of the robot cooking their simple lunch of spaghetti and bottled sauce. After snapping photos of the lab and Dr. Banner, he watched the robot warm their bread in the oven.

"She can reheat Meals-on-Wheels and other packaged meals. She can also cook eggs and make other simple meals without a recipe," Bruce explained. "She doesn't replace me in the kitchen."

"And who buys these?" asked Peter.

"People who need someone to watch their loved ones, so they can take a night or day off," said Bruce. "We've gotten orders for hundreds of them by a major hospital network. I rather not mention names. We also have small nursing homes and semi-independent living facilities ordering one or two."

"Cool," said Peter. "America already has an unemployment problem. Doesn't this add to it?"

"We have a factory in Georgia and another in Korea," said Bruce. "And we may be building more factories, so right now we are creating jobs. We hired 32 engineers at this facility alone. Then there is the customer support we are training. Tony insists on having the customer support in California. Carrie Caregivers assist human caregivers - they can't replace them. A Carrie cannot run tests like the ones I asked Carrie Ann to do without authorization from a qualified nurse or doctor."

"Eventually, they will replace human caregivers," said Peter.

"Eventually." Bruce smiled, sat down at a small table and motioned for Peter to join him. "Then robots replace human automotive workers. That is the way of progress."

While they ate the food Carrie Ann prepared, they talked about robotics and other areas of science. Peter said, while watching Carrie clean, "When you called the Bugle, the receptionist and the woman who does the society page were teasing me that you wanted me to interview you because I'm eye candy."

"Off the record, you may be eye candy, but you smell like arachnid," Bruce explained. "Only giant female spiders would find you sexually appealing since odor is a large part of sexual attraction."

"Will that shot you gave me make me smell more human?"

"Sorry, but I was only able to temporarily halt the mutation. I contacted scientists that may be able to do more but I'm yet to hear from any of them. I haven't reversed the damage it has already done to your body."

"Back on the record." Peter turned on his recording device. "What does an awkward nerd like you have over all the beautiful people that attend Tony Stark's parties?"

"I can answer off or on the record." Bruce smiled. "For the record, when we met he said to me, 'someone who talks English.' We talked nuclear science around a bunch of military geeks who barely know what an electron is. Actually, I should say that don't know what an electron is beyond the Bohr model. He loves me because I have a brain. The first time we talked sex he said, 'Do you know talking about sex with you is very unromantic?' After being around 'beautiful people', I think he finds my awkwardness refreshing."

Peter turned off the recorder. "Off the record."

"He finds me fascinating. After we were introduced, he shook my hand and said, 'It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electronic collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.' Then when he got me alone, he processed to poke me with a pointy object. How could I not love him?"

"I can so see Tony Stark doing that," said Peter.

"Captain American totally freaked out and told Tony he was putting the whole ship in jeopardy then added quickly, 'no offense, Dr. Banner.' I told him that I wouldn't have come onboard if I couldn't handle pointy objects." Bruce was looking at Carrie Ann clean and not at Peter. "Tony accepts all of me. My last significant other was terrified of the Hulk. She would deny it but she was. I don't think the Hulk would have rescued him, if he hadn't been so accepting of me. He wouldn't admit it, but having the Hulk destroy the master bedroom strokes his male ego."

"When did this happen?"

"Off the record."

"Totally," said Peter. "I print any of this and you tell the world I'm Spiderman."

"Our first night at his, our, house in Malibu. The Hulk broke the boxspring, bend the metal bed frame, tore the curtains and pulled the curtain rods clear out of the wall. A dresser was thrown and a hole punched into it. After it was over, Tony was telling me that it was alright and things could be replaced."

"You weren't so calm about it."

"Sexual excitement makes me change." Bruce looked at the wedding ring. The electroplating was so perfect that he couldn't see where it was broken. "I take medication to keep that from happening, but I can only get a little hard on it. After the bedroom was trashed, I locked myself in the basement and begged Tony to annul the marriage."

"What happened?"

"He told me to get out of the sub-basement and do it myself," Bruce explained. "I told him I was too dangerous and I wasn't leaving. He then said over the intercom, 'You're stuck with me.'"

"Is that why you're here and he isn't?"

"No, I wanted to look over some last minute details first-hand. I expected to go home last night, but you needed me. I plan to stay here until I can reach another scientist that can handle your care. Tony will be here tonight. He plans to take me out to a fancy restaurant. Because I'm me, I eat Kraft macaroni and cheese with the same joy as food in a gourmet restaurant, but you can't tell Tony that."

"With your nose, don't you enjoy a nice meal?"

"I enjoy the flavor of everything I eat as long as its fresh. I can tolerate food that is rancid, but I rather not eat it. Tony thought me food shopping every morning was a just a quirk of mine. Tony married me for my cooking. I don't think it's my cooking as much as I buy from farmer's markets and get all my fish straight off the boat."

"I would hate to have your nose."

"I need to test your blood for see if the mutation has stopped or slowed down." After getting the blood sample from Carrie Ann, Bruce went over to the elevator and asked Jarvis for the floor his lab was on. He had a message in his email from Mariah Crawford. "Dr. Crawford is in town. She can handle your care from now on."

"You're dumping me?"

Bruce winked at him. "You're cute, but you're underage and I'm married."

"And I smell like spiders." Peter smiled. "It's OK. You aren't my type."

"You may wear your mask when you meet her," explained Bruce. "I told her I was treating Spiderman. I'll test your sample first and email her the results. Fair?"

"Fair enough, I suppose," said Peter.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Numbuh 4444, thank you for the input. I don't write Tom Swiftlies, as in "I ran to the store," Tom said swiftly. I hope you can understand how a character is talking by their words alone. I'm writing in the universe that my story,** Safety First**, took place in, if that is any help. I feel, if Peter Parker was going to have a bad reaction to the spider venom, it would happen right away, not several years later, so this is a total rewrite of Neogenic Nightmare. Gwen, finally, appears in this chapter, which is the first written in Peter's POV.

Disclaimer Alert: I don't own any of the Marvel characters. They belong to Marvel and I will try to return them unharmed.

xxxx

After learning the results showed that his condition was stable for the moment, Peter copied the recording onto a flash drive to let one of the reporters for the society page transcribe it. While the society page ladies were laughing about the photographer getting the interview with Mr. Stark's camera shy husband, Peter went off to see this Dr. Crawford. He would, hopefully, be back before they gutted all the science out of the interview.

If they did, he had another copy of the interview and he would write his own interview of the soon-to-be famous Dr. Banner. After undressing to his Spiderman outfit, he hid his street clothes and went to the address Dr. Banner gave him. A woman wearing no make-up, in a lab coat, khaki slacks and loafers greeted him.

"Spiderman," she said in a South African accent. With her straight black hair and tanned skin, she was pretty enough that she didn't need make-up. "Dr. Banner told me to expect you."

Peter looked over the woman working over a Bunsen burner. "I hate to rush you, but what do you have so far?"

"I just started working on your treatment, but Dr. Banner's serum will keep your mutation from progressing, so you need to see him or me every day until I find the cure."

That wasn't the answer Peter was looking for, but he would try to sound hopeful. "Will do." In the mask, he was Spiderman, superhero. He was brave and strong, not a scared teenager worried that his own cells were changing him into a pile of goo. Yeah, right.

The woman warned, "I would refrain from climbing buildings until we know how the serum will affect your powers."

"Dr. Banner told me."

Dr. Crawford looked at her test tubes. "Did he also tell you he is the Hulk?"

"No, I figured it out alone," said Peter. "I one-upped him since he needed someone to tell him that I'm Spiderman. How did you know?"

"Dr. Banner should have been the next Stephen Hawking, instead he goes missing the same time as the Hulk appears. Now he is back - only a few months after the Hulk helps save New York. And the clincher is Tony Stark meets Dr. Banner while trying to locate the Tesseract. If that doesn't say it all, what does?"

"I didn't know about Dr. Banner going missing and then reappearing. I saw him with the other Avengers and he seemed a bit too friendly for someone as shy as Tony Stark claimed. I tinted his face green on my Starkphone and I nearly fainted."

"He can't cure you. The man can't cure himself."

"Can you cure me?"

"I hope so. I have a friend that took a serum that I'm working on the antidote for. A powerful mutagen has also damaged his cells. I find the cure for you and I'll be able to treat him. However, The Hardy Foundation isn't paying me to treat you or my friend in Africa for that matter."

"You don't think you can do it."

"I will give it my best effort." Mariah put a test tube in a centrifuge. "Your condition should remain stable as long as you receive your daily shot. If your friend, Dr. Banner, could get me some funding from the Maria Stark Foundation or just give me some lab space, I wouldn't have to squeeze you into my spare milliseconds."

"You call him," said Peter. "I can wait."

Mariah picked up her phone and called the number. "Dr. Banner, Spiderman is here. Would I be able to use one of the labs at Stark Tower to help find Spiderman and my friend in Africa a cure? I would be forever in your debt."

"Tony will be here at 6 eastern time," said Bruce. "You can join us for dinner. I'm sure Tony won't mind. Spiderman is invited, too."

Mariah put a hand over the phone. "You're invited to dinner."

"I can't eat with the mask," said Peter.

"Spiderman respectfully declines," Mariah said over the phone.

"Then I had lunch with him today," said Bruce. "He needs to spend time with people his own age."

xxxx

Peter went home to find Gwen hanging around near his doorstep. When she raced over to hug him, he didn't push her off but he didn't return the hug.

"You haven't been in school the last few days," said Gwen.

Peter touched Gwen's soft blonde hair.

"You not talking is bad," said Gwen. "You're dying and you want to protect me."

"I spoke to two doctors today," said Peter. "The second doctor I saw examined me while I kept my mask on. I'm turning into a monster and I'm worried about my secret identity. Crazy, huh?"

"A monster?" said Gwen.

"Spiderman paid a visit to the Hulk," explained Peter. "The Hulk knows about monsters. I figured he would have to equipment needed to keep my radioactive blood contained. He gave my medical data to several doctors that may be able to treat me, including the one I spent most of the day with."

"The Hulk?"

"Yeah, seeing him made me think of Conner. I told him and he said he has both his arms and he is always a monster," explained Peter. "I think he tried to scare me when we were in the elevator going to his lab, but he's smaller than me, and when he went to sniff me, he almost fell on me. I called the Hulk mental. I thought I was a dying at the time. That gives you power to do really stupid things."

Gwen looked up at his face. "You aren't dying?"

"No, the Hulk gave me some medicine that stops the mutation. He can't cure me. Hey, he can't cure himself, but he can keep me from getting any worse and that is something."

"Are you going to school tomorrow?" She was still hanging off his neck. "You're the second brightest student at Midtown Science."

"And you're the first," said Peter. "Since I'm not dying, I should attend enough classes so I can graduate with my class."

"Yes, you should." She, finally, let go of his neck and put her arms around his waist.

"My two doctors are meeting with a philanthropist to see if they can raise money for the save Spiderman fund," said Peter. "I can't eat with the mask on, so I declined the invitation. Do you want to get a burger?"

"They'll get the money," said Gwen. "You saved everyone in the weather system from becoming giant lizards. We don't know far the wind and rain would have carried Conner's serum."

"Gwen Stacy saved everyone," said Peter. "I only helped."

"But Spiderman is the hero," said Gwen.

Peter wasn't worried about the research money since he didn't think Tony Stark would be able to say no to his new husband, especially since the man Peter met with today didn't seem impressed by fancy cars or nice clothes. Lab space for Dr. Crawford would win Dr. Banner's heart more than a romantic trip to Europe.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I still don't own Spiderman or the Avengers.

xxxx

No crime fighting meant going to bed before the wee hours of the morning, which made Aunt May happy. Dr. Banner and Dr. Crawford said he could fight crime - just no climbing on tall buildings until he knew how the serum would affect him. Peter didn't feel comfortable fighting crime limited to a height that he could fall from without hurting himself too badly. Still he couldn't give the criminals of New York too much of a break since they had grown to expect Spiderman to be paroling the streets.

Going to bed before dawn meant Peter woke up early and was able to swing by Stark Tower to get his daily shot before class. He couldn't keep his webs low to the ground and still avoid traffic, so he risked being up high. His web-shooters were technology, so he didn't have to worry about his superpowers to use them. No climbing - that meant he could swing from webs without worry.

He grabbed a newspaper on the way to class. As he thought, they gutted the science talk to Bruce's comments about Tony and him talking physics around military geeks when they met and a few words about the home-health aide robots just starting mass production. They included the website for more information - that was something - at least.

Bruce would be happy for the free advertisement. Peter survived school without any side effects from his cells mutating or the serum that was suppose to prevent that from happening. "Gwen, I need to wear my Spiderman outfit to meet with my doctors since Doc Crawford doesn't know my secret identity. So you can't come along. Sorry."

Gwen hugged him. "You take care."

Peter handed Gwen a newspaper folded to show his first interview. "I recorded the interview. Mrs. Jenkins only transcribed then edited it. I'm P.P."

Gwen started laughing.

"My initials are funny?" He gave Gwen a playful shove before pulling her into his arms for a hug.

Gwen pushed herself free of Peter and started reading the interview. "You ask good questions."

"They gutted most of the science out the the interview. When I got on Banner about people in the health-care profession being replaced by robots, he said that if he didn't build his robots someone else would. He said the science is there. Leibniz and Newton stumbled upon Calculus at about the same time. We all stand on the shoulders of giants. Banner has done amazing work replicating biological systems. He wanted his health-care aides to be more humanoid in appearance, but marketing said otherwise."

"He's the Hulk," said Gwen.

"That's came out of nowhere." Peter wasn't going to deny or confirm such an outlandish remark.

"You let him take a blood sample and your blood is radioactive and mutating. He must be the Hulk since your other doctor hasn't seen you without the mask. Normal blood hazard's disposal isn't designed for radioactive waste. You can't that stupid or careless." Gwen read more of the article. "Jameson lets the paper print cocksucking."

"They wrote out as two words," said Peter. "The copy-editor must have missed it. The women transcribing the interview must have laughed at me listening to that man talk about sex. The rest of me is virginal, but my ears aren't."

"I can cure the rest of you," cooed Gwen.

"Have you?" asked Peter.

"No, you haven't either," said Gwen. "You may be dying. You should have sex, at least, once before you die."

"We can have pity sex another time," said Peter. "I can meet Tony and Bruce wearing my street clothes. Pepper Potts, Tony's CEO, found out I was Spiderman and told her boss and later her boss's husband. I hope she keeps company secrets better than she keeps my secret."

"She must or they wouldn't still be in business."

"You can come with me. If Dr. Crawford wants to see me, you can play science intern with Dr. Banner. Maybe, he will let you look at his time machine."

"You're joking."

Peter pulled her tight for another hug. "I think he was. He said he met a friend of a friend that is suppose to met him in the future. It was the first time they met for Dr. Banner and the second time for the other person. It gets even stranger - this friend is a time agent from the 51th century. I think Dr. Banner is pulling my leg. But the math for the time machine is real."

"That isn't in the interview."

"We talked about the schematics for his time machine this morning," said Peter. "It has a slight problem. It currently takes energy equal or greater than the Earth's mass to open even a small hole in the fabric of space/time."

Gwen smiled. "That would be a small problem."

"If it wasn't for the whole rage monster thing, he would be this eccentric uncle all the kids want to hang out with. He's nuts but in a fun way."

"You talked me into joining you."

Peter grabbed her hand. "We'll go by subway since I need to lay off the climbing until my condition is more stable."

xxxx

The lobby was full of people leaving the building, exiting after a busy day at work. "I'm Peter Parker," Peter told the security officer manning the desk. "Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are expecting me."

The security guard looked at the clipboard. "Your friend isn't on my list."

"Call Dr. Banner." Peter took Gwen's hand.

The guard said over the phone. "Mr. Parker is here to see you. He has a young lady with him."

Dr. Banner said something over the phone.

"I need to see your ID," said the guard.

Gwen showed the man her ID for Midtown Science High School.

He wrote something on his pad then gave her the ID back. "You and Mr. Parker need to sign in."

Finally, Peter lead Gwen to the elevator. "Mr. Stark has rooms for all the Avengers. Black Widow and Hawkeye stay here wherever they're in town. Those floors you need to access from the tower's AI system. See the buttons are locked out."

Gwen went hmm.

"Jarvis, take us to see Dr. Banner, please," said Peter.

A British voice said, "Mr. Parker, he is expecting you and your friend. Gwen Stacy, it is nice to make your acquaintance."

"And you are?" Gwen asked the speaker.

"I'm Jarvis, Just A Rather Very Intelligent System." said the AI.

"It's nice to meet you, Jarvis," said Gwen.

"The pleasure is mine, young lady," said the AI.

Dr. Banner greeted them at the elevator. "Gwen Stacy," said Dr. Banner. "You've met Jarvis."

"In the elevator," said Gwen.

"He takes some getting used to. Peter, Gwen, please, come in." Dr. Banner had to enter a code to open the door.

Peter and Gwen followed him inside the secured lab.

"Peter, I'll need to draw your blood, again. You won't need another shot until morning unless your blood work says otherwise," explained Dr. Banner. "I assume Gwen wouldn't be here if you didn't tell her why you needed the blood work."

"She knows," said Peter.

"Peter is changing into a giant spider," said Dr. Banner. "The shots I gave him the last two days should keep him from changing any further. Dr. Crawford is working on reversing his condition."

Peter sat on a chair and rolled up his sleeve.

Dr. Banner prepared the syringe. "You know the routine."

Peter turned his head when Dr. Banner draw the blood then bandaged the wound.

Dr. Banner then made a slide to put under the microscope. Looking at the blood sample, he said, "You can hold off on the shot until morning. You're stable for the moment. I would like to do an MRI. See the internal changes."

"Isn't Doc Crawford handling my care?" asked Peter.

"She is, but because she doesn't want to see you without your mask, she rather have me run the tests and send her the results," Dr. Banner explained. "That isn't a problem?"

"I suppose not," said Peter.

"Slip down to your suit and be sure to remove your web-shooter," said Bruce. "You can put your web-shooter back on as soon as you're free of the machine. If we get attacked while you're in the scanner, I'll have the Hulk smash bad guys until you can get your web-shooter back on. I promise."

"Fair enough," said Peter.

"You need to remove all metal," said Bruce.

Peter undressed to his suit then put the web-shooter and belt on a metal table. Then Peter got on the table and Bruce ran the scanner. After Bruce took lots of pictures, Peter climbed down from the table, put his web-shooter back on, fixed his gloves then put on his belt. "Well?"

Banner clicked through some of the images. "You have arm buds growing out of your spine for two more sets of arms." Banner pointed to the bone structures in the image. "Your brain has adjusts to the other changes in your body. We have to assume these limbs are functional and won't be vestigial."

"Oh my God," said Gwen. That pity sex wasn't going to happen now. Peter didn't have to ask. She was so not going to have sex with a boy turning into a giant spider. It was not going to happen. He just had to accept the fact that he was going to die a virgin.

"Miss Stacy, you were an intern at OsCorp," said Bruce. "You may stay as long as you don't interfere with Peter's treatment. We all have vestigial tail bones that don't do much harm. Peter's arm buds appear to have seized some of his lung space. Peter, while you are here, can I test your lung capacity?"

Bruce tested Peter's lung capacity while Gwen held Peter's hand.

"Well?" said Peter.

"Good lung capacity," said Banner. "Your body is coping extremely well. Your cholesterol and triglycerides results tell me you're either a world-class athlete or a vegan or both. Your blood sugar was a bit low, but your iron level is good. I read the interview. Thanks for not making me look like a whore only interested in Tony's money."

"Without Tony's money, you wouldn't be working in this state-of-the art lab," said Gwen.

"Tony had planned to give his AI a body before I met him. I was the one who showed him the demographics that demonstrated our aging population needs robot caregivers, especially in areas where younger people are in short supply," explained Bruce. "Nepotism won't turn a profit. Good ideas that can be carried through turn profits. We would turn a bigger profit if our technical support was outsourced to India, but Tony insists on California. It's his money."

Gwen said, "Americans need jobs."

"Indians need jobs, too," said Bruce. "We live in a global market. We're one of the few American manufacturers shipping high-tech products to Japan."

"His main factory is in Georgia," said Peter.

"I read the interview," said Gwen. "Are those arm buds harming Peter?"

"Does your tail bone harm you?" asked Bruce.

"Not really," said Gwen.

"They do push his other organs out of the way," explained Bruce. "But Peter, according to all the tests I've run, is very healthy. Many world-class athletes would be jealous of his results. He keeps getting the shots and they will remain undeveloped arm buds. After Dr. Mariah Crawford stops him from mutating further, Peter may decide to have surgery to remove the boney structures. That is his choice."

"Would you suggest that?" asked Gwen.

"No, the surgery to remove the arm buds would be evasive and wouldn't improve Peter's quality of life," said Bruce. "Peter could live the next 70 or more years and only the technicians giving him a chest x-ray and his doctors would ever know. Peter, do you want to talk about it? With or without Gwen?"

"I'm becoming a spider," said Peter.

"Not really," said Bruce. "Spiders have exoskeletons. Your internal skeleton is growing and adapting. At this point, you're much more human than spider."

"If I grow four more arms, I won't be able to hide that I'm Spiderman," said Peter.

"The Thing can't hide who he is," said Bruce. "Dr. Crawford told me last night that my disappearance correlates to the first Hulk sighting and my reappearance to the Hulk being seen with the Avengers. Tony never hid that he's Ironman. There are advantages and disadvantages either way."

Gwen put an arm around Peter. "I'll stand by you either way."

"I have time to decide," said Peter.

"My serum may not hold off your mutation forever," said Bruce. "Antibiotic-resistant bacteria show that cells are very good at mutating around obstacles. You need a shot every 24 hours. If it becomes every hour or every few minutes, what will we do then?"

Peter shrugged his shoulders. "Pray?"

"I'll talk to your aunt and show her your medical information whenever you're ready," said Bruce. "You don't have to do this alone."

Peter looked at his gloved hand holding Gwen's hand. "Thank you, Dr. Banner."

Gwen said, "Peter said you're like that crazy uncle all the kids want to hang out with. Let's see those specs for the time machine."

Bruce smiled. "Mind you, it takes more energy than is available on Earth to run, so I'll never be able to build it."

Bruce showed Gwen his schematics for the time machine as Peter tried to follow along, but his mind was on the vestigial arm buds dormant in his chest. No matter what Dr. Banner said he was becoming a spider. And Bruce saying "at this point" meant Peter might not always be more human than spider.

Jarvis said, "Dr. Banner, now that you're no longer running medical tests on your patient, may I ask Mr. Stark to join you?"

"Miss Stacy and I just started playing with the time machine," said Bruce. "Can you hold him off?"

The AI explained, "He has been asking to see you for over an hour and his requests are getting closer together."

Bruce put an arm around Gwen. "You can play with the parameters. I need to give my husband a kiss before he gives his AI a nervous breakdown."

"I don't have nerves, Dr. Banner," said the AI. "Thus, my non-existent nerves cannot break down."

Bruce said to the AI. "Tell Tony that I have two teenagers in my lab, I love him and he needs to be more patient."

"He said if he had patients he would be a doctor and everything else he said isn't appropriate for children under 18," explained the AI.

Bruce put a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "I'll be back. You and Peter talk."

"Is Jarvis listening?" asked Gwen.

"He always listens," said Bruce. "But he won't intrude on your space."

After Bruce left the room, Peter put an arm around Gwen. "What if Dr. Crawford can't help me? Do I wait for Dr. Banner's serum to fail? Do I tell my aunt the truth that I'm a freak?"

Gwen said, "Dr. Banner is a bigger freak than you and he manages to keep his sense of humor."

Peter looked at his web-shooter and extra cartilages. "On that vote of confidence."

Gwen looked up at Peter. "I can't tell you what to do."

"I can't go to school with six arms."

"You already have six arms, it's just that four of them haven't pushed through your torso, yet." Tears were pouring down Gwen's cheeks. "I didn't know what to expect when I agreed to meet with your doctor, but I didn't expect this. I'm sorry."

"Thank you for coming with me." Peter hugged her. "I promised your father I would keep you out of this and you're in it up to your eyeballs."

"That was my choice," said Gwen.

Bruce's voice came over the loud speaker. "Kids, would you like to stay for dinner? I can get take-out or you can make you a home-cooked meal? I warn you I'm not Peter's aunt."

"The robot isn't cooking?" asked Peter.

"Carrie Ann's spaghetti was eatable, but I'm cooking tonight." Bruce said, "Is meatloaf OK? I make great mashed potatoes."

"Whatever you make is fine," said Peter. "I suffered through Mrs. Stacy's fish."

Gwen fake punched his shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: Don't own Marvel or any of their characters.

xxxx

After eating dinner with Bruce and Tony, Peter dropped Gwen off at home and did some crime-fighting. No, costumed weirdos tonight. Just normal purse-snatchers and other petty thieves.

"Where were you?" asked Aunt May.

"Gwen lost her internship when Conner went to jail," Peter said. "We had dinner with a nice couple that might be interested in having Gwen work for them."

"Do I know them?" asked Aunt May.

"I don't think so," said Peter.

"What are their names?" Aunt May sat down at the kitchen table, which meant she expected Peter to remove his backpack and sit.

"Tony and Bruce," Peter said fast.

"Toni with an_ i_," said Aunt May.

Peter gave into his aunt's stares and sat down. "No, a_ y_. They're a gay couple. I interviewed Bruce for the Bugle. Did you read the paper?"

"You had dinner with Ironman?" said Aunt May.

"They liked the interview," said Peter. "Dr. Banner made meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. They're a normal couple. You should have heard Dr. Banner tell Mr. Stark that eating a green vegetable wouldn't kill him and he might get another 50 thousand miles out of the Arc Reactor. They bicker like you and Uncle Ben did."

"See people with money aren't all that different."

"Uncle Ben tells me people are people." Peter looked at Aunt May. "Told me."

"It's OK." Aunt May looked at the front door. "There are times that I expect him to come walking through that door."

Peter looked down at the table. "I'll eat dinner with you tomorrow night."

Aunt May was no longer looking at the front door for a man that would never be coming home, again. "Peter, you don't have to."

Peter took Aunt May's hand. "Aunt May, I want to."

xxxx

Peter had a message in his email from Dr. Banner. Dr. Crawford was working on a cure and Bruce would email him when she had any results. Spiderman was also free to visit her at Stark Tower at anytime. Then Peter Parker could also visit her. That was Peter's choice whether he wanted to go public with being a superhero. Since he got out of bed late, Peter didn't get to go to the Stark Tower until after school.

Bruce insisted on doing a chest x-ray to see if the arm buds were growing. "No noticeable growth."

"I was running late for class," said Peter.

"I don't normally encourage tardiness, but if your arm buds push through the surface, you will be going to school with six arms." Bruce explained, giving Peter his injection. "You need to take your shot seriously. Put your mask on."

Peter said, "I'm sorry. It won't happen, again."

"If Dr. Crawford is able to cure you tomorrow, that won't dissolve your arm buds. Your blood is radioactive, so it isn't like you can check yourself into a hospital and have surgery to remove the boney protrusions." Bruce bandaged the injection site. "If you don't make seeing Dr. Crawford or myself a priority, you are only hurting yourself."

Peter pulled his mask over his head then undressed to his Spiderman outfit then put his street clothes in his backpack. Finally, he went to see Dr. Crawford. She showed him around her lab and told him that she had put aside all her other projects and was devoting all her time to finding Spiderman a cure.

Peter looked at the time. "I need to go. I promised my aunt that I would eat dinner with her."

"Go," said Dr. Crawford. "You may visit anytime - day or night. I'll be staying at Stark Tower until I find a cure."

"Your friend in Africa needs you," said Peter.

"His condition is stable," said Dr. Crawford. "He can wait. You cannot. Go have dinner with your aunt. I'll have Dr. Banner email you when I find something. Dr. Banner was most upset when you didn't show this morning."

"He already gave me what for." Peter looked at his feet.

"I can give you your injection, if you prefer," said Dr. Crawford. "However, Dr. Banner already knows your identity, so you don't need to wear your mask to visit him. Once I find the cure, you won't need those daily injections. I could have a breakthrough tomorrow or it could take months."

"You can't rush science," said Peter. "Or you turn into a giant lizard."

"In your case, a giant spider," said Dr. Crawford.

"Dr. Crawford, you and Dr. Banner are working to prevent that," said Peter.

"I'm sorry I don't have better news," said Dr. Crawford. "Are your powers stable?"

"Yes, they are," said Peter. "I went back to crime-fighting last night. No problems."

"Very good," said Dr. Crawford. "Go see your aunt."

Damn climate controlled buildings. He needed to go to the roof to leave the building then web sling home. In an alley, he put on his street clothes, removed his gloves and tucked his mask under his shirt. In the summer, he would be sweating so bad. Then by summer, he would have four more arms, so he would no longer be able to hide his secret identity.

Right now, he had to act like a normal teenager for his Aunt May. He talked about school, Gwen, Dr. Banner showing Gwen his theories on time travel and all the normal teenage things. "I think Dr. Banner likes Gwen and will hire her," said Peter.

"You need to think about your future," said Aunt May.

"I have a job with the Bugle," said Peter. "I got them an interview with the elusive Dr. Banner. I even made a man who spent over a decade traveling the world in order to find himself look semi-sane. I didn't let him talk about android body parts or time travel. I kept the interview on safe subjects."

"You did real good," said Aunt May. "I know you feel you need to support me, but you're such a bright boy."

"Uncle Ben wanted me to go to college," said Peter. "Aunt May, I know. I get all that, but I can make a living with my camera."

"So you're going to watch Gwen get the science scholarships while you take photos."

"Jameson loved my Spiderman photos before I got him that interview."

"You shouldn't take pictures of that vigilante," said Aunt May. "It's too dangerous. I already lost your Uncle Ben. I couldn't bare to lose you."

"I have a telephoto lens," explained Peter. "I take them from a safe distance."

"I've seen the bruises on your body," said Aunt May. "You're putting yourself in harm's way for what? A few pennies?"

"Aunt May, Spiderman sells more papers than an eccentric scientist building robot nannies."

"Maybe, if you interview enough eccentric scientists, you will realize how important a college education is."

After getting up from the table, Peter took his and Aunt May's dishes to the sink and started washing them. "A college education doesn't guarantee you a job in this economy. I have a good job. I'm not risking it for two birds in the bush."

Aunt May shook her head.

"Uncle Ben didn't go to college and he made a good life for us." Peter dried the dishes and put them away.

The disappointed look on Aunt May's face said more than all the words in the world.

Peter broke down and said, "I'll look into going to college part-time."

Aunt May said, "That's all I ask."

xxxx

After putting the dishes away, Peter sneaked out of his bedroom to fight crime. He wanted to go to college, but that was a year away and he didn't know what life held for him. He overheard some drug dealers talk while he was paroling the harbor. He'd let the police handle it, but it couldn't hurt to listen. If they did anything which Peter could tie up in webbing for the police do find, he would move in. Otherwise, it was New York City's finest's problem.

The drug dealers moved on. So did Peter. He needed to learn more about this Kingpin and Silvermane and the other crime bosses that control New York. All Spiderman was doing so far was catching a few fish swimming down the river. He wouldn't make a dent in crime unless he attacked their spawning ground. A few whispered names was nothing. He would need to listen more.

He didn't sleep well that night. Around five o'clock, he got bored of watching his alarm clock tick and decided to pay Dr. Banner a visit. As expected, Dr. Banner met him on the roof. "Tony isn't happy about being woken up, so this better be important."

"I couldn't sleep," said Peter sheepishly.

Bruce invited Peter inside and they went to the lab. "I suspect you need to talk."

"What will happen to me if my arm buds develop?" asked Peter.

"You'll have six arms and two legs," said Bruce.

"Duh," said Peter.

"The weight may curve your back," said Bruce. "You may be more comfortable crawling than walking after they grow in due to the repositioning of your body parts. Your lungs will get pushed forward and that may impact your breathing. You keep taking your shots and that won't happen. I have to go to Korea for a few days. Dr. Crawford can give you the shots or I can have Carrie Ann administer them."

"I rather have Doc Crawford do it," said Peter. "Nothing against your robots."

After giving Peter his shot, Bruce went over to a cabinet, opened a drawer and took out a pile of neatly folded clothing - blue and red - the colors of Spiderman's suit. Then he placed it on the table. "Tony made you a present. Try it on. I'll leave the room to give you privacy."

"He shouldn't have." Peter looked at the folded spiderman suit.

"It's a metal/fabric mesh. It will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. You should find it more comfortable than the spandex."

"Thank you," said Peter.

Bruce waved good-bye before leaving the lab.

Peter undressed to his underwear and web-shooter. Then he put on the suit Tony made for him. It was more comfortable than the spandex and just as flexible - like a second skin. The gloves clipped onto the sleeves, so he could tuck them into his shirt sleeves when he was in his street clothes without worrying about losing them. "Jarvis, tell Dr. Banner I'm fully clothed."

"As you wish, Mr. Spiderman."

"Spiderman," said Peter.

"Spiderman, ah," said the AI.

After entering the room, Bruce looked Peter over. "Now you have two Spiderman uniforms. Wear it well."

"I need to get to school. Tell Tony thanks for the uniform and that I'm sorry for waking him." Peter put his school clothing over his Spiderman uniform, making sure all the edges of his uniform were tucked in.

Bruce looked Peter over. "Do you wear your Spiderman uniform all the time?"

"Not when I shower or sleep," said Peter. "I could sleep in this uniform. It's comfy like pajamas. I have it all tucked in?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare. You and Gwen are invited to Thanksgiving dinner. You may bring your aunt. I'll going to have it catered since I'll be busy getting Carrie on the shelf for Black Friday. Captain Rogers is coming since he broke up with his girl and he doesn't want to spend the holiday alone."

"A catered dinner in the penthouse," said Peter. "Do we need to dress up? My aunt will be so excited."

"You can." Bruce smiled. "Tony will dress up it I ask. Otherwise, he'll be wearing his jeans and a rock band tee shirt."

"Jeans and tee shirts are fine," said Peter. "My aunt is going to dress up either way. I'll tell her causal."

"The food will be catered. Tony won't let any employees into the penthouse. He says I'm a private person, but he uses robot maids because he doesn't want any human help in our living space."

"Robots clean the penthouse?"

"Tony is Ironman, remember?" Bruce said. "He's had Dummy since college. We recently added Carrie Ann to the family. We also have a Rooma."

"I'll tell Gwen and my aunt about Thanksgiving. Have a safe journey." Peter undressed to his new uniform then put his street clothes in the backpack. "I have a jazzy new uniform. I now need to do something about the backpack. Maybe, Tony could make me a matching backpack or something cool to carry my stuff while I'm web-slinging."

"You're pushing it."

"It doesn't hurt to ask."

"I'll see you soon." Bruce escorted Peter to the roof and watched him shoot a web line to the closest building then use it as a zip line.

When Peter turned his head to look back at the Stark Tower helio-pad, Bruce was gone. He must have went back inside. Dr. Banner needed to get a new product on the shelf. He was an important business man and not Peter Parker's personal physician. Peter enjoyed the attention while it lasted. Back to reality.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I still don't own Spiderman or his friends. Marvel does.

xxxx

That night, Peter told Aunt May, "Dr. Banner invited us to have Thanksgiving dinner with a few friends of his."

"In the penthouse?" asked Aunt May.

"Tony has the money to rent out any restaurant in town, but Bruce likes staying home since he goes out enough on business. Now that Tony has a CEO and a husband working for him, Mr. Stark can do more telecommuting and only leave Stark Tower for board meetings. He says he has his live-sized model decoy do those. By the way, Dr. Banner is going to Korea and it sounds like he will going straight to Georgia or Cali when he gets back."

Aunt May was stirring some kind of soup or stew in a pot - chicken with a bit too much garlic from the smell of it. Her cooking had suffered since Uncle Ben died. She probably just didn't care as much as she use to or she had a fear of vampires. "I have nothing to wear."

"Tony is going to be wearing a tee shirt and jeans and Bruce will be throwing his tie and jacket on a chair for one of the robots to put away," said Peter. "Bruce said casual."

"Bruce and Tony?" asked Aunt May.

Peter threw his backpack on a chair. "It's Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark to their faces."

"How often do you see Dr. Banner?" asked Aunt May.

"I took Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark's photo at a charity dinner," said Peter. "Then Dr. Banner asked me to interview him months later. I'm not stalking him."

"I didn't think you were." Aunt May took a sip of her soup.

"Then why the questions? He just wrote me an email asking me if my aunt and I would like to have Thanksgiving dinner with them. During the interview, I let it slip that Uncle Ben died and this will be our first holiday season without him."

"Rich people don't invite people like us to dinner."

"I teased him about him wanting me to interview him because I'm easy on the eyes and he teased me back that I'm underage and he's married. So don't go there."

"Have Dr. Banner write something up for you," said Aunt May. "All that work you did for Dr. Conner and, with him being in jail, it may not give the right impression on your college application."

"Aunt May." Peter rolled his eyes.

"Then why tell you his plans?" Aunt May ladled the soup into two bowls and put them on the table.

"Because I'm stalking him." Peter shouldn't have said that, but he couldn't tell Aunt May that the bio-physicist was giving him a shot every morning to keep him from becoming a giant spider. Now he would have to wait for Dr. Banner to get back from his business trips before Dr. Banner could have that heart-to-heart with Aunt May.

"It doesn't sit right with me."

"He also invited Gwen, so it's kosher," explained Peter. Aunt May didn't think Dr. Banner wanted Peter in his bed. The whole idea was crazy. The Hulk had destroyed the master bedroom his first night at the mansion; not to mention, Dr. Banner looked at his wedding ring with sadness and longing. Dr. Banner couldn't have sexual relations - not normal sexual relations - that much Peter understood between the sexual humor and the things left unsaid.

Peter made himself a cheese sandwich to go with the soup. If they weren't invited to the penthouse for Thanksgiving, Aunt May would probably make burnt turkey with the paperbag holding the giblets still inside the way she has been cooking since Uncle Ben died.

After dinner, Peter did his homework then went over to Stark Tower to see Dr. Crawford. "I'm not having much luck," Dr. Crawford looked at the boy sitting on her table. "I isolated the components and I can stop the mutation for a short time, but Dr. Banner has already done that. I may be able to reverse your condition, but you would no longer be Spiderman."

"I can live with that," said Peter.

"Dr. Banner won't be back until Thanksgiving," she said, returning to her work.

"He told me this morning."

"I'll be giving you your shots for the next few weeks. Hopefully, I'll have a cure before he gets home."

"If you don't, I'll have Dr. Banner give Aunt May the talk." Peter hung down from the ceiling. "She thinks I'm having sex with Dr. Banner. I nearly laughed my ass off. Dr. Banner wouldn't have sex with me if I was the last man on Earth. He said I smelled like spiders and only female spiders would find me sexy."

"That's pretty blunt. Dr. Banner is usually more polite than that."

After leaping down from the ceiling, Peter was now leaning over Dr. Crawford. "He isn't that polite. He threw a costumed villain at me." Peter was going to say mutant weirdo, but he and Dr. Banner wrote the book on mutant weirdos.

"Did the Hulk or Dr. Banner throw a person at you?"

"The Hulk and he has good aim," said Peter. "If it wasn't for my spider agility, I would have been crushed. But Dr. Banner repeated the Hulk's words when we next met and wasn't the least bit sorry for the Hulk's actions."

"He must have had a good reason."

"Don't take his side," said Peter. "He's the adult."

"Spidey, I'm not taking his side."

"I suppose Spidey is better than Bug Boy."

"The Hulk called you Bug Boy."

"Dr. Banner did, too. Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner must have been laughing about the Hulk's little nickname for me."

"Dr. Banner did all your blood work, gave you x-rays and run every other test I asked for, if he's still angry with you, he's a big enough man not to show it. Don't beat a dead horse."

"Sorry," said Peter. "I shouldn't feel sorry for myself. I have a lot to be grateful for. You and Dr. Banner helping me for free. And I have a girlfriend to hold my hand while your man is in Africa. You must be lonely."

"Sometimes," said Dr. Crawford. "My work keeps me busy."

"I'll let you get back to your work." Peter walked out the door and took the elevator to the roof. On his way home, he stopped a pawn shop from being robbed and returned a purse to a lady that had her purse snatched. He then went home to his bed and fell asleep in his Spiderman outfit.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: I still don't own Spiderman or his friends. They are owned by Marvel.

xxxx

Luckily, Peter woke up before the alarm. After put his school clothes on over the uniform, Peter went downstairs for breakfast. He ate fast before running outside and removing his school clothes, so he was back in his Spiderman uniform. After his shot, he web slung his way to school. After school, he followed Gwen to her apartment and banged on the window for her to let him in.

"Peter, what if my mother finds you in my room?" Gwen said, quickly letting him inside.

"Mr. Stark made me a new uniform," said Peter.

"It looks like the old one," said Gwen.

"The fabric is softer. I fell asleep in it last night. Which reminds me, can I use your shower?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Peter, really?"

"We're cool," said Peter.

"You get caught and my mother will have kittens."

"Then I'll just have to go around smelling like a million horny spiders for a bit longer."

Gwen sniffed him. "Make that two million."

"You can hide in the bathroom with me then you can claim you're the one taking the shower," suggested Peter.

"You would so like that."

"I get that I'm a eight-limbed freak that smells like spiders," said Peter. "Thus, we won't be having sex anytime soon. You stand guard. You can keep your back to me, so you don't have to see me naked."

Gwen wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry."

"We can throw the pity party after I shower," said Peter. "With Dr. Banner away on business, you're the only one that knows my secret."

"Mr. Stark knows your secret," said Gwen.

"And I can cry on Ironman's shoulder," said Peter. "Not!"

Gwen grabbed his hand. "Take your backpack. You're not sneaking across my house in a towel."

After Gwen locked them in the bathroom, Peter said, "Dr. Banner invited the two of us to Thanksgiving dinner."

"My mother will, hopefully, understand that Dr. Banner is interested in hiring me and the dinner will be good for my future career," said Gwen. "But she will be a bit disappointed, being the only female surround by my bratty little brothers."

"She'll survive." Peter started undressing.

"But she will make me suffer for it," said Gwen. "Moms are great at laying on the guilt."

"Talking about mothers." Or the closest thing Peter had to a mother. "Aunt May thinks I'm fucking Dr. Banner."

"You doing the Hulk - gross." Gwen was probably making a face, but Peter had his back to her as he removed his last of his clothes and put them in a pile on the closed toilet.

"It's absurd. I mean, his honeymoon night the Hulk made the master bedroom look like Seaside Heights after Sandy. Dr. Banner hid in the basement for days after that."

"The basement?"

"A sub-basement, probably, reinforced with alloys only Ironman knows about. Dr. Banner didn't tell me anymore, but he was staring at his wedding ring like there was a lot more to the story."

"Mr. Stark must really love him," said Gwen over the sound of running water. "That makes me hate all the people that want to outlaw gay marriage even more."

Peter took the shower as hot as he could stand it and washed his hair with what must have been Gwen's brothers' shampoo. Smelling a bit less like horny spiders, Peter turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and quickly dried himself. Then he dressed in his old Spiderman uniform because the new one was dirty.

"No shoes," said Gwen.

"Slippers," said Peter. "I need to grip the ceilings and walls with my feet and hands."

"I never thought about that," admitted Gwen.

"I took me falling a few times to think of it myself." Peter put his new uniform in the backpack then put his school clothes over his uniform. "Do I smell OK?"

Gwen reached up on tiptoes to sniff his head. "You smell like melons."

"My underarms?" said Peter.

Gwen got off her tiptoes then rested against his chest. "You smell clean and fresh."

Peter hugged her back. "I shouldn't have imposed on you like that. It just that I look at Aunt May and I feel guilty for lying to her."

"You should." Gwen was still in his arms.

"Now that I'm not offense to be around," said Peter. "Let's study for that history test together."

Gwen took him by the arm and led him back to her bedroom.

An hour or so later, Mrs. Stacy said, "Gwen, I hear voices from your room."

"Peter came over to study," Gwen shouted through the closed door.

"You need to need the door open when you have boys over," said Mrs. Stacy.

Peter opened the door. "Hello, Mrs. Stacy, it's nice seeing you, again."

"Hello, Peter," said Mrs. Stacy. "Why is your hair wet?"

"It was raining." Peter smiled awkwardly because it was cold but sunny today.

Gwen gave her mother her biggest puppy dog eyes. "Mom, Peter slept in his clothes last night and begged me to let him use the shower. I mean he smelled so funky that I would have been holding my nose unable to concentrate on our studying."

After reaching over to her bed to grab a pillow, Peter hit her with the pillow.

"That is totally inappropriate, young lady," said Mrs. Stacy. "If your father was still alive."

"Am I grounded?" asked Gwen.

"I had my back toward Gwen while I undressed," said Peter. "Then I had soap in my eyes. She might have peeked."

"I didn't." Gwen blushed. "Oh my God, Peter, you're making this worse."

"Mrs. Stacy, Gwen and I still have our collective virginities. I'll let you know if the situation changes."

Gwen now hit Peter with a pillow.

Peter grabbed the pillow from Gwen and held it over his head out of her reach. "Mrs. Stacy, Gwen and I were invited to the Stark penthouse for Thanksgiving dinner. My aunt won't let me go unless Gwen chaperons. She thinks Dr. Banner has the hots for me."

Gwen still trying to reach the pillow but failing as Peter moved the pillow just out of her reach. "All the ladies at the Bugle are saying the same thing. No one from any newspaper, magazine or television station could get an interview with Dr. Banner then out of the blue he calls asking for Peter."

"I read the interview," said Mrs. Stacy. "Great work."

Gwen stopped reaching for the pillow and smiled at her mother. "Well, can I go to Stark Tower for Thanksgiving?"

"If she says yes, I'm bringing my camera," said Peter. "One picture of Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark kissing under the mistletoe will pay for my college education."

"You can go," said Mrs. Stacy. "The door stays open."

"Peter, give me back my pillow," said Gwen.

"You asked for it." Peter hit Gwen with the pillow.

Gwen grabbed the pillow from Peter then put it on the bed and lied down with her butt and lower back holding the pillow in place. She opened the history book. "Peter, join me on bed. Mom, we're both clothed."

"Nice socks," said Mrs. Stacy, when Peter leaped onto the bed beside Gwen.

Peter blushed. After the exciting time everyone had the last time he stayed for dinner, Peter decided to excuse himself and exited through the front door when Gwen went to eat. Not wanting to face Aunt May, he made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to eat in his room. Peter had trouble falling asleep because of intestinal cramping. With Aunt May's cooking when she did cook, he wasn't surprised. In the morning, he was still in pain. His ass was on fire and, with everything else that was going on with his body, he was fairly certain it wasn't hemorrhoids or something else normal. The odor and now this.

xxxx

Author's Note: I wanted the intestinal cramping to happen while Peter was visiting with Gwen because it would be more dramatic, but the timing was off. More drama next chapter, I hope.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I don't own Spiderman or his friends. Marvel does. I know people are reading my story because of the traffic. Don't be scared to write a review. I don't bite - much.

xxxx

Without eating any breakfast, Peter dressed in his original Spiderman uniform since the other one had metal (another metal, not iron), so it wouldn't interfere with the MRI, but better safe than sorry. He had his school clothes and school supplies, which included his camera for yearbook, in his backpack since he didn't plan to go back home afterward. Having made the trip several times before, his hands knew where to sling the webs and where the web lines were.

Suddenly, he had a pain in his gut like the others that kept him up the night before. Not thinking, he grabbed his stomach. He was falling. Quickly, he attached a web line to a building and swung himself to the side of the building. "That was close," Peter said to no one. "Too close."

He climbed down the building and, once on the ground, he removed his mask and gloves and put on his street clothes. "The subway," he said to himself. After a long subway ride, he exited to the lower levels of Stark Tower.

The clothes and shoes came off and the mask and gloves went on since he needed to be Spiderman for Crawford. It didn't matter that he was sentenced to mundane transportation until he was given something to ease the pain. He needed to play the role of Spiderman, even if he could no longer fight crime. "Jarvis, tell Dr. Crawford that we need to use the ultrasound. My ass is on fire and my intestines are cramped up."

The doctor met him in the lab. "Lie still. We'll have a look."

Peter did as ordered.

"Spiderman, you have a mass under your kidneys and above your bladder. Also your arm buds grew 2.5 millimeters. We're going to have to increase your medication and go to twice a day. I'll go over the dosage with Dr. Banner," Dr. Crawford explained.

"It's useless," said Peter.

"Until the end of the world gets here, we are going to act like the sun will rise tomorrow," said Dr. Crawford.

"Why the pain in my ass?"

"Deferred pain," said Dr. Crawford. "And you might be growing spinnerets near your anus, but I don't see any evidence, yet."

"I'm making silk in my gut," said Peter. "Joy."

"We have no proof of that," said Crawford. "It's just a small undefined tumor at the moment."

Peter touched a web cartilage on his belt around his waist. "My own recipe and I don't squeeze it out of my ass."

Crawford prepared his injection. "Through the costume, right? You roll up your sleeve for Banner."

"Doc Crawford, who crawled up your ass?" asked Peter while Crawford gave him the shot. "You aren't the one changing into a spider."

"I keep hitting road blocks," said Crawford. "I can cure you for a few hours, but your cells fight back. It's twice a day now. Eventually, continual drip won't be enough."

"Dr. Banner told me of that possibility."

"You should be thinking about homecoming. Enjoying high school. You biggest worry should be what colleges to apply for and getting scholarships."

"College isn't in my plans. I'll be living in a tunnel under New York by then, trying not to frighten small children." Peter smiled although Dr. Crawford wouldn't see his smile because of the mask. "My girlfriend and I studied for a test last night. Talking about the Declaration of Independence and the key battles of the Revolutionary War with her makes me feel almost normal."

"Almost normal?"

"If I was normal, we would only claim to be studying." Peter hoped the smirk was carried in his voice.

"You're a teenage boy. I don't know your exact age. It's hard to have a personal relationship with a person in a mask."

"If you asked me to give up my privacy for you to treat me, I would."

"I know you would," said Dr. Crawford. "The mask and costume gives you dignity. I won't take that from you. Go to school. I'll talk to Dr. Banner before I see you this afternoon."

"I have yearbook, so I'll be a bit late."

"Enjoy yearbook. Have fun at school."

Peter left the lab and headed to school by bus and subway.

xxxx

After school, Dr. Crawford did another ultrasound on Peter. "No new growth since morning. The medicine is working. I have a theory on stabilizing your condition, so you stop mutating and maintain your powers, but I need Dr. Banner's input. When I told him twice a day, he told me he's taking the next available flight. If my theory is correct, you will be back to your old self before Thanksgiving."

Peter sat up on the table. "When is Dr. Banner getting here?"

"Monday morning," said Dr. Crawford. "He'll be in the air all of Sunday."

Monday morning came without incident. Although Mariah Crawford and Bruce Banner had worked on the new serum together, Dr. Banner agreed to administer it. While he was preparing the syringe, Peter's spider sense went off.

"You're trying to poison me." Peter leaped out of his seat and broke the vial in Bruce's hand.

"Settle down," Bruce said. "If I wanted you dead, I could go to a lot less trouble. Peter, you must know I mean you no harm. What is wrong?"

"My early warning system was yelling danger," Peter explained.

"I am giving you poison. Chemotherapy is poison. This should kill your mutant cells and leave your normal cells unharmed," Bruce explained. "Peter, are you going to sit here patiently or does the Hulk need to restrain you?"

"I'll sit here quietly," said Peter.

"Carrie Ann, ask Dr. Crawford for another vial of serum. Spiderman broke the vial."

"Yes, Dr. Banner. I shall ask Dr. Crawford for another vial of serum to replace the one Spiderman broke." The robot left the lab.

Bruce's eyes appeared to follow the robot out the door. "I was fighting fires in Korea. I don't speak Korean, but computer code is an international language. I came back here to help you, so I don't want to hear it. Did I tell you I hate planes? Being cooped up with other people for 20 hours in a sealed pressurized tube with no escape is so fun."

Peter was back to sitting in his chair and staring at the floor. "My early warning system went off and I reacted."

"You're lucky I have it under control," said Bruce. "Attacking me isn't a good idea when I'm well-rested and don't have jet lag."

Peter felt like a two year old scolded by his parents. "Sorry. Why did Dr. Crawford need you?"

"Her serum is based on my blood chemistry when the Hulk returns to being me. Getting a sample of me calming down isn't easy because I need to not to see the needle although I know it's coming. We need the Hulk becoming me. Me becoming the Hulk is the opposite of what we want. Therefore, I'm emotionally and physically exhausted at the moment, which is probably part of the reason, you're still alive."

Wouldn't Bruce be more likely to change when tired or did changing take so much out of him that he didn't have the strength to get angry, again? Bruce did meditate, so he probably trained himself to hide within himself when threatened. Peter would ask him about it later.

"You said it was going to kill my bad cells," said Peter in a quiet voice. He was good now that the threat was removed.

"It does more than that and it is a poison, but you need a poison right now. You tell yourself it is OK even though your early warning system is telling you otherwise. I'm an expert at meditation. I can leave me and go to a higher plane of existence in less than a second. It took me years to get to that point, but I can teach you some deep breathing."

"OK," said Peter.

"Jarvis, I'm taking Spiderman to my yoga room in the penthouse. Have Carrie Ann bring the serum to us." Bruce took Peter's hand to help him up.

"Yes, Dr. Banner," replied the AI.

Bruce helped Peter up. "My aunt used to say God doesn't give us more than we can handle. Nice sentiment. All those people in mental hospitals say otherwise. Peter, you're stronger than this."

Peter stood. "I can walk."

"Your depression is normal," said Bruce. "That means you're leaving the denial part of the grieving process."

"Does it get better?" asked Peter as they walked to the elevator.

"Being a monster or seeing your parent die?"

"How did you know about Uncle Ben?"

Bruce looked at the elevator buttons on the wall. "I watched my father kill my mother when I was four and I still have the nightmares. It doesn't get easier. She died saving me. My father believed I was going to become a monster. He said things about my DNA being mutated. Things he couldn't know unless he traveled in time."

"Uncle Ben died because I let the thief that would kill him go. I could have stopped him and I didn't because I let my anger get the best of me."

Bruce put a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "You didn't kill your uncle."

"'With great power comes great responsibility', said my Uncle Ben," Peter said in a soft voice. "I failed him."

"Don't fail him today," said Bruce. "Let me give you the serum Dr. Crawford worked on. Then you can go back to fighting crime. This still isn't a cure, but you'll need an IV once a week instead of needing a shot twice a day, so it's an improvement, and if it makes your mass shrink, you'll only need to continue treatment until the mass disappears."

Peter smiled. "Then I'll be in remission."

The elevator door opened.

They walked inside.

After the elevator doors closed, Bruce said, "Jarvis, penthouse."


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I don't own Marvel or any of their characters. Disney does. I am writing for my amusement and the amusement of others for no monetary gain.

xxxx

The elevator started moving.

"My medication failing didn't cost you millions of dollars?" asked Peter.

"No," said Bruce. "We got the line running, again, before I left, and my assistant is still in Korea. I'm going to Georgia in a few days for a last minute pep talk and to oversee production."

Peter looked at the small bedroom with the daybed, yogi mat, candles and metal Buddha. A band of sealed glass near the ceiling gave the room ambient lighting. The door of the small closet was open and inside were a few button down shirts, some dress trousers and the tux Bruce wore to the charity dinner and one pair of shoes. Dr. Banner might have been married to one of the riches men on the planet but the contents of his room, minus the tuxedo wouldn't look out of place in a mud hut in India. "The majority of your clothes are in your suitcase."

Bruce sat yoga-style on the floor. "I carry a backpack and a laptop bag. My assistant bought me the bag for my laptop because he says I can't look insane when telling my managers how to run a factory. I have to wear a designer suit and carry a designer laptop bag. He keeps the Hulk from destroying Seoul and teaches me protocol. I pay him twice my salary."

Peter laughed.

"OK. More than twice. My salary is a company secret that doesn't need to be disclosed because I'm never running for office."

"Can we talk instead of meditate?" asked Peter.

Bruce continued to sit on the floor. "Join me on the floor then."

Peter sat on the floor. "You put designer suits in a backpack?"

"No, my assistant brings a designer suit to my hotel room and makes me change. He gets paid the big bucks for a reason." Bruce smiled a bit more. "Let's talk about you. Does your aunt know about Spiderman?"

"Everyone in New York does," said Peter.

"Let me clarify." Bruce cleared his throat in an exaggerated way. "That you are Spiderman?"

"Not yet," said Peter. "Even if she did know, I can't talk to her. Grief surrounds her like a rain cloud. Anyone in her immediate area drowns in her grief."

"I won't tell her unless your chemotherapy fails. You have the right to your secrets. She doesn't know I'm the Hulk and she doesn't know you're Spiderman. We're going to be talking about my robots, Gwen's internship and your photos all evening. And Steve may want to talk about his art since photography is also a visual art. I can see you two hitting it off."

"We can talk about Spiderman now."

"Do you like being Spiderman?"

"I love it. Web slinging from building to building is almost like flying. Having a mask is so freeing. I'm no longer that dorky kid that gets beat up even in a magnet school for science. And helping people is great. Who doesn't want to save the day?"

"I left the Korean factory to my assistant because I was needed to save the day or, at least, save Spiderman, so he can save the day. Helping people makes you feel good. You can probably tell by my room that I believe in Karma."

"I'm an atheist," said Peter.

"So is Tony. Mariah, Dr. Crawford, needs to give you weekly treatments until you're cured or go into remission. Therefore, she has the formula saved, hopefully, in multiple places. She just has to give us another sample. If you don't have any adverse reactions, we will be hooking you up to the IV for your first treatment as soon as possible. She should just need to give Carrie Ann another vial."

"And you said Tony is impatient."

"Today is a school day."

"The day is blown."

"You're such a bright boy. I would hate to see you repeat the year or need to get a GED because you couldn't graduate with your class."

"If I go to college at all, I'll be attending Empire State College part-time while freelancing for the paper," said Peter. "That interview you gave me made me more than the kid that takes the Spiderman pictures. I might make staff at the Bugle before I graduate high school."

"How are you managing?"

"I promised Gwen's father that I would keep her safe and she's hiding me from her family. I felt so guilty that I left before dinner. What I hate most is lying to my Aunt May. Now that Uncle Ben is dead, she's all the family I have."

When Peter went to look Bruce in the eye, Bruce looked away.

"You aren't insane," said Peter. "You threatening me in the elevator wasn't the most rational thing to do, but other than that you seen fairly rational. Less than a year ago, you were a fugitive. Now you to manage a team of engineers and oversee production in two factories. You're coping extremely well."

"People see my hand-wringing, chanting and other calming behaviors as me needing calming behaviors, not as me finding ways to cope that don't level city blocks. But thanks. You're the one changing into a spider. Let's get the conversation back to you."

"I should let Dr. Crawford see my face. If not my face, my hands and arms. She's my doctor and you're running a robot to her then waiting for the robot to return. I hate that I have a man that is suppose to be getting his overseas factory up to production is babysitting me. You tell me your assistant is handling things. But he is, probably, a MBA when you're the man who talks computer."

"Tony talks computer. I do the interface and I know the health care end. I also know quality control." As a small child, this man was told by his father that he was a monster and the world would be better off if he was dead. That could kill a person's self-esteem.

Peter's first years were happy. His parents loved him. Peter didn't want to feel sorry for a man that changed into a monster and had killed people. The Hulk had thrown a human being at Peter, which wouldn't have been good for Peter's health (if Peter hadn't gotten out of the way) or the health of the man thrown. The monster inside Peter wanted to catch things in his web and eat them. Dr. Banner wanted Peter to talk, but saying such things outloud would be admitting those feelings to himself.

After taking a deep breath, he let it out. "I have these dreams. Day dreams and lying in bed - not sleeping - dreams. They're images - my mind sometimes puts words to them. I talk to myself a lot. Sometimes, I feel I'm the only one who listens to me, especially now that Uncle Ben is gone. I can see a web and I use my web-shooters to wrap people in cocoons. I have mandibles to cut open the cocoon. At least, I believe I do. I can't see myself in my dreams. I haven't acted on these dreams, but I feel like the monster inside me is winning."

"How long have you had these dreams?"

"Just the last two days, but they're getting more frequent. I make silk in my gut now. I don't think about climbing walls. I just do it. Instinct is a terrible thing. It keeps me from taking that new medicine because my instincts says it's poison." Tears were running down Peter's face.

"Jarvis, tell Dr. Crawford to meet us in the Hulk Room. Dr. Crawford needs to bring the medication and Carrie Ann," said Bruce.

"I need the chemotherapy or I will become the monster in my dreams," Peter was still crying and visibly shaking. "Please, don't let me become that monster."

"I'll do my best to not let that happen." Bruce stopped sitting away from Peter and got close enough to hug the boy. While they were hugging Bruce slid off his shoes. "No socks."

They took the stairs to the next story down. Tony had wanted the Hulk-proof room to be accessible even when the power was out. The tower was off the grid and made its own energy, but buildings could be broken into to and lines could be cut.

Peter was sitting on Bruce's lap with Bruce's still human arms around him. But Peter knew if he fought taking the medicine, Bruce wouldn't stay human long. Mentally, that should be enough to keep him from acting out when his spider sense went off, but his emotions could take over.

Dr. Crawford came in followed by Carrie Ann. "Spiderman, roll up your sleeve. Carrie Ann will be administering the IV while Dr. Banner holds you still. You react and Dr. Banner can become much stronger than you very quickly. You need this medicine, so it is in your best interest to behave."

Peter nodded.

"I'm not giving your Dr. Banner's blood, so that should ease your mind a bit. I studied the components in Dr. Banner's blood when he returns to being Dr. Banner after being the Hulk. I isolated those components, replicated and added them to your chemotherapy. You may throw up, have trouble eating and you could stop growing new hair and your hair might thin a bit. Your body is playing for keeps, so we have to fight just as dirty."

Peter unhooked the glove from his sleeve but kept his glove on while he rolled up his sleeve. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Nice uniform," said Dr. Crawford.

"Mr. Stark made it for me," Peter said.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I don't own Spiderman or his friends. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

xxxx

As soon as the IV needle was in his arm, Peter had pulled the IV out. At that exact moment, Bruce had stabbed him with a tranquilizer dart he had hidden in his hand. Peter moved to leap away but he was too sluggish leap onto a wall or the high ceiling and soon fell asleep on the floor. Mariah carried the sleeping boy onto a cot and hooked up the IV. Mariah said, "We can't knock him out the next time."

Bruce said, "He believed I would become the Hulk and his body still fought."

"That poor child," said Mariah.

"I should remove his mask while he sleeps," said Bruce.

"I need to respect his privacy."

"What if he vomits inside his mask?" said Bruce.

"Good-bye, Bruce," Mariah said. "Tell him I'm sorry."

"I will." After Mariah left, Bruce removed Peter's mask then took off one of his gloves to take his pulse. "Peter, I won't let you become a monster."

A few hours later, Bruce left Peter in Carrie Ann's care and went to Mariah's lab to find her notes, enough medication for several months of treatments and a cell phone number. He returned to the make-shift hospital room to find Peter still sleeping. Normal sleep since the tranquilizer was long out of his system. The boy's brain patterns were normal, meaning he wasn't in a coma.

Bruce sat with him until he woke. "Peter, you slept the day away."

"You stabbed me with a tranquilizer dart," said Peter.

"You made me promise that I wouldn't let you become a monster," said Bruce. "You need to come back tomorrow to check the size of your tumor, spinner or whatever you want to call it."

"I can't web-sling home half-doped up with tranquilizer," said Peter.

"I can take you home by taxi or have Happy drive you home."

"You have Happy drive me home then Aunt May will be certain we're having an affair."

Bruce brushed Peter's hair away from his face. "Peter, you're a lovely boy, but you're young enough to be my son and you're my patient."

"How do I explain away my hair falling out and the vomiting?"

"Pot will help with the vomiting," said Bruce. "I have no advice regarding the hair loss."

"Gwen's dad was a cop." Peter laughed. "What if I get caught?"

"Tony asked me if my secret was mellow jazz, bongo drums or a big bag of weed," said Bruce. "I don't do jazz or drums. Jarvis, don't tell Tony I'm sharing my stash with young Peter."

"Dr. Banner, I do not keep secrets from Mr. Stark," said AI.

"Invite him then," said Bruce. "We can pass around the joint."

xxxx

Feeling terribly naughty, Peter went upstairs to the penthouse and ran into Bruce's room. Bruce got his stash out of his hiding place, which Peter was sure was going to be moved to a new location after Peter left. They were passing the joint around and giggling when Tony entered the room. "Hulkie and Spidey are having a party and you didn't invite me."

"Mutant weirdos only," giggled Peter.

"I'm married to a mutant weirdo." Tony sat on the floor beside Bruce and wrapped his arms around him. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

Bruce inhaled then passed the joint to Peter. "Poor judgment."

Tony kissed Bruce full on the lips. "I get high just kissing you and you insult my drinking."

"I like to have you around in twenty years," said Bruce. "Have Happy get us take-out. Since Spidey and I are both stoned, we won't care what cuisine as long as it's fresh since I still have my nose."

"How can you smell anything in this room?" teased Tony. "Pot is illegal and his girlfriend's late father was a police captain. She'll smell it on him."

"I'll bathe and wash the uniform before I see her," said Peter. "If that doesn't work, I'll tell her it's for medicinal reasons. I don't know if the chemo is working, but my pain is gone."

"That's the pot," said Tony.

"I'll find a new hiding place once he leaves," said Bruce.

"How are you going to hide the hair loss?" Tony started playing with Bruce's thick curls. "He's too young to be going bald."

"I'll think of something, I always do." Peter took another drag of the joint then gave the now much shorter joint to Bruce. "Where's Dr. Crawford?"

"She left when I removed to your mask to keep you from choking on your own vomit," Bruce explained. "She left enough medicine for two months worth of chemo and a number and email to be reached. She, probably, went back to Africa to be with her love."

"You're stoned," said Peter.

"I'm tired." Bruce put out the joint on an ashtray. "I'm going to sleep now."

Watching the middle-aged man climb into the daybed, close his eyes and fall asleep, made Peter giggle.

"Let him sleep," said Tony. "His plane arrived just after midnight, then less than an hour later, he gave Dr. Crawford the blood sample. Afterward, he slept until you arrived here. It's been a hard day for him. How are you managing?"

Peter said, "I'm starving."

"That's the pot talking." Tony called his chauffeur and told him to get enough take-out for 3 people unless Happy wanted to join them then he better make it four. "And you know Bruce, so only the freshest ingredients will do."

When Happy arrived 45 minutes later, Bruce was still sleeping but Tony had hid the pot and Bruce's room smelled of incense. Peter thought it was funny that Tony sat at the kitchen table with the chauffeur, especially after Bruce said Tony doesn't let the help into the penthouse. Tony must have considered Happy a friend and not help.

"Happy, this is Peter Parker," said Tony. "Bruce let him interview him a few days ago. Peter, this is Happy Hogan."

Happy offered Peter his hand. "Good interview. Tony, Pepper and I accept your invitation for Thanksgiving dinner."

"Peter?" asked Tony.

"Gwen and I will be there," said Peter. "Aunt May will also be coming."

"Pepper and Happy, Peter, Gwen and May, Steve and Bruce and myself. Eight people," said Tony. "I'll tell Bruce when he wakes."

"What about Dr. Crawford and Rhodey?" asked Happy.

"Rhodey has other plans, and Mariah left this morning for parts unknown," said Tony.

"Aunt May doesn't know about Bruce's green little problem," Peter explained - it was hard to think of someone you smoked pot with as Dr. Banner. "So no calling Bruce Hulkie, Big Guy or any of your nicknames."

"I'll have to call him Honey and Sweetie all night." Tony started taking the food out of the brown paper bag. "He'll love that. Bruce will say the most sexually suggestive things and cook breakfast just wearing an apron, but you show the slightly interest toward him and he blushes like a schoolgirl. It is so adorable."

"Chopsticks?" asked Peter.

Tony handed him a pair of chopsticks.

After removing the chopsticks from the paper and splitting them apart, Peter, finally, got to his food.

Tony said, "You have to excuse Peter for his lack of table manners. Dr. Crawford gave him chemo this morning and Bruce thought pot would help ease the symptoms. Peter has never been stoned before."

"A virgin," teased Happy. "You'll never have that same high again. They call it chasing the ghost."

Peter swallowed the food in his mouth. "I feel good - real good - just hungry."

Tony smiled at the boy. "Then eat."

Peter took another bite of food. If he didn't have Spiderman's agility, he wouldn't be able to eat with chopsticks while stoned. Peter chewed his food and tried to keep from giggling. Tony and Happy both appeared to be enjoying watching him eat more than they were enjoying their own food.

Then Peter realized why they were smiling at him. "Oh my God, I'm still dressed in my Spiderman outfit. That's embarrassing. And Mr. Stark, thanks, again, for the outfit. It's so comfortable that I forget that I'm wearing it."

"Wear it in the best of health," said Tony.

"Where are my mask and gloves?" asked Peter.

"In the yoga room," said Tony. "I'll get them for you when we're done eating. I can make you another one, so you have one to wear and one to wash."

Peter said between bites, "You don't have to go to the trouble."

"No trouble, I just put the fabric in the hopper and the machine does the rest," said Tony. "The pattern is already in the computer. It's just hitting a button."

"Mr. Stark, you knew I was compromised," said Peter. "And you didn't tell me to get clothes on."

"You look dressed to me," said Tony.

"Gwen, Ms. Potts, you, Dr. Banner, and now Mr. Hogan," said Peter. "I'm not real good at this secret identity thing."

"Steve doesn't know. Let's not tell him." After dinner, Tony sent Peter off with another uniform. They left food in the refrigerator for Bruce who was still sleeping. Since Peter had the munchies real bad, it wasn't as much as they would have liked. Tony suggested, "You take the rest home. I'll get more for Bruce."

"Sure?" asked Peter.

"He likes his food to be freshly prepared," said Tony.

"He told me," said Peter. "Shouldn't I say good-bye?"

"Let him sleep," said Tony. "He spent nearly a day in the air and he hates planes."

"He told me."

Tony packed back the leftovers in a leak-proof container. "Maybe, I'll get you a new backpack for Christmas. I've always had a tree for Pepper. Being married to a Buddhist, I may do without the tree this year."

"Next year?" asked Peter.

"Will take care of itself," said Tony.

"You're dying." That wasn't a question.

Tony touched the arc reactor in his chest for less than a second. "I'll see you at Thanksgiving."

Happy helped the boy pack while Tony watched. Then Tony gave the boy his gloves and mask. Tony waved good-bye to Spiderman. Peter waved back before leaving with the chauffeur.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: I don't own Spiderman or his friends. They are owned by Marvel.

xxxx

Happy ended up dropping Peter off a few blocks from his house.

Aunt May greeted him at the door. "You weren't in school today."

Peter exclaimed, "I was busy."

"Peter Parker, you're stoned," said Aunt May. Her using his full name was never good.

"Yes, I am," said Peter too happy to care. "I'm going to bed now."

Peter didn't go to bed though. He checked his computer. Nothing from Mariah Crawford. Then she didn't have his email or his name. He created an anonymous account and wrote her a email thanking her. After school the next day, he got an email telling him to write her if he needed anything and she was only a plane flight away.

Bruce pointed to the mass in the ultrasound. "It's a few millimeters smaller in diameter, but I have better news. The arm buds are shrinking. I was certain you would have them for life unless you had surgery to remove them. Dr. Crawford's serum is more powerful than I thought."

Peter rubbed a hand over his arm and a few hairs fell out. "It's worse on my head."

"It will grow back," said Bruce. "You're young. How's the appetite?"

"It comes and goes," said Peter.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "Do you want some weed?"

"I don't think I should be slinging webs high," said Peter. "It gives criminals the wrong message and it makes me look like a hypocrite."

Bruce nodded. "The option is always there."

"Thanks but no thanks," said Peter. "Why do you tell Mr. Stark things like you want him around for another twenty years when you must know he's dying?"

"We'll all dying," said Bruce. "The other guy heals me and keeps me germ-free, but I didn't have gray hair or need glasses when I had my accident, so I'm not even immune to the passage of time."

Peter rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I know Mr. Stark's arc reactor can fail at anytime and the shrapnel in his body can turn his heart and lungs into Swiss cheese," said Bruce. "I love that he lives each second like it's his last, but, at the same time, I hope against hopes that he will be with me for another 20 years or more."

"I'll be back in two days for my chemo," said Peter.

"Happy crime-fighting, Peter." Bruce returned to telecommuting. It must have been the factory in Georgia since the California call center wouldn't be starting its day for a few more hours. Peter hated that Bruce wasn't overseeing the factory in person like he planned because he had to babysit Peter.

On the way home from school, well, not exactly on his way home because Peter was taking the scenic route since he, finally, was on his way to recovery and could go back to crime-fighting. His spider sense alerted him to some guy with four metal-tentacles trying to rob the diamond exchange. After using his agility and cunning to tie two of the tentacles in a knot, Peter left the crook for the police to find. First a lizard-man, then the serpent quad now a guy with metal tentacles. Were the criminals getting weird or was it him?

At least, Jameson would enjoy the pictures. When Peter removed his mask, he found a bit of hair inside it. He would have to tell Aunt May something before he was totally bald. Peter visited the Bugle before slinging home. His friend Robbie said, "You're a bit quiet. That's unlike you."

Peter touched his head. "Been thinking."

Robbie teased, "That's dangerous."

"Can you give Jameson the pictures?" Peter looked down at his feet. "I caught some crook using remote arms to rob the diamond exchange."

"You caught?"

Peter touched his camera. "I caught him on film. I got some good photos, too." Peter handed Robbie the roll of film. "I would stay, but I need to talk to my aunt."

Robbie held the roll of film in his hand. "Peter, go. I'll get these to Jameson."

"Thanks, I'll make it up to you." Peter walked away. If he continued the therapy, all his hair would eventually fall out and Aunt May would know something was wrong. If he didn't continue the therapy, he would become a giant spider. In less than a week, he had Thanksgiving with Gwen at Stark Tower. _Stay with the plan, Parker,_ he told himself.

Suddenly, Peter could feel the hamburger he had for lunch coming up. Too late to go to the bathroom, Peter fell to his hands and knees and vomited on the newsroom floor.

Robbie teased, "Are you pregnant?"

"I wish I was. My doctor switched my medicine. Side effects. I'm fine now that my stomach is empty. You can keep me company in the darkroom, in case, I need to hurl, again." Peter might as well stay and develop the pictures. No web-slinging until he could stand without hurling.

Robbie helped Peter stand while the janitor was already cleaning Peter's mess off the floor. As Peter developed the pictures, Robbie watched. Peter really did feel a hundred percent now that no food was in his stomach. In a darkroom, developing photos, Peter was in his environment. However, standing in Jameson's office made him want to hurl. However, Peter forced a smile as Jameson insulted Spiderman.

"How do I know those arms weren't being controlled by Spiderman?" Jameson laughed and said, "Because Spidey isn't smart enough to control hydraulic arms: that's how. Great pictures, Parker. And next time try not to dirty my floor."

"I must have ate something that didn't agree with me," said Peter.

After Jameson looked at all the photos, he paid Peter. "Kid, you're a bit green. Go home."

Peter pocketed the check. "Thank you, Sir."

"Watch what vendor you buy your hot dogs from," said Jameson. "I can spot food poisoning from a mile away."

Just thinking about food made Peter hold his stomach. "It was hamburger, Sir. And I'll be more careful about what I put into my mouth. It won't happen, again."

"You rest. Go. Get out of my face, Kid."


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: I still don't own Spiderman and his friends. They are now owned by the same people who own Mickey Mouse.

xxxx

Peter left the office with his check. The next day, another crime was committed by someone using remote hydraulic arms. Early Sunday morning, Peter went over to Stark Tower and met Tony. "Someone is robbing jewelery stores and tried to rob the diamond exchange using remote arms. You're the technology expert. I figured this would be right up your alley."

"Do you have pictures?" asked Tony.

Peter showed Tony his newest photos. They talked and Bruce made Peter some chamomile tea. Good for an upset stomach. Peter fell asleep after two cups to wake to find himself chained to a bed with an IV in his arm.

Peter struggled a little again the chains. "You're suppose to be the good guys."

Tony smirked. "It's a shame your eighteenth birthday is still a few months away."

Were those chains designed to hold the Hulk or something? Peter smiled up at Tony. "Let me go." Even so, if he wasn't still feeling the effects of whatever Bruce put in his tea, those chains would be broken by his spider strength.

"You asked Bruce not to let you become a monster. The medicine is working. Let it do its job." Tony touched Peter's arm for a second. "Soft, smooth, hairless, I wouldn't be able to get the IV in you if your skin was a strong as the Hulk's, but Carrie Ann can tell you the difference in pressure to push a syringe through your skin and normal human skin."

"I don't need an engineer talking about the how much pressure it takes to puncture my skin." Peter shrugged against the chains.

"You promise to take your medicine like a good boy and I'll unlock the chains."

"I'm not normally hairless. The medicine is making my hair fall out." Peter relaxed his body. "Can I talk to Dr. Banner? I'm having other side effects, which include throwing up at work."

"He's doing video conferencing because he can't leave New York right now because of you." Tony tossed the TV remote at Peter. "You enjoy Sunday football and I'll see what I can do."

Peter caught the remote. After Tony left the room, Peter struggled against the chains until the weakest link broke. Finally, he could sit up. He didn't remove the IV, but he found a chair to sit on to wait for Bruce.

"Jarvis, where is Dr. Banner?" asked Peter.

"He is at his desk Skyping," said the AI. "He's talking to his PA and can't be disturbed."

"Mr. Stark has no bedside manner," said Peter.

"He isn't a doctor, young sir."

"Have Dr. Banner see me as soon as possible," said Peter.

"Very good, sir," said the AI. "You're free to leave the room as long as you take your IV with you."

"I want to get better," said Peter.

"Dr. Banner will see you in a few minutes," said the AI.

"Thank you," said Peter.

xxxx

Bruce sat on a chair across from Peter. "How are you doing?"

"I'm losing my hair and I threw up at work," Peter said. "My balance is off."

"Your balance?" asked Bruce.

"I can climb a web-line, scale any building and web sling across New York, but when I walk to class, I need to touch a wall or I feel uneasy like I'm going to fall. I can cling to a ceiling upside down and standing upright bothers me."

"It could be an inner ear infection." Bruce checked one ear then the other. "They look good. Your limbs are dissolving, so your center of gravity should be returning to normal. Have the daydreams gone away?"

"The medicine has made them less frequent, but I still have them."

"Peter, stand. I want to see you walk in a straight line."

Ignoring the feeling on imbalance, Peter walked pushing his IV stand along.

"Straight as an arrow," said Bruce. "I'm not a neurologist, but I can pretty much say, there is nothing wrong with your gait. We need to talk to your aunt."

"I don't want her knowing."

"I say nothing and she will think you have cancer - stage 3 or 4. Do you want her thinking that you're dying, especially after she just lost her husband. I won't tell her about Spiderman."

Peter looked at the TV remote in his hand. "Alright."

xxxx

After Peter finished his treatment, Happy drove Peter and Bruce to Peter's house in Queens. Bruce followed Peter into the house. "Aunt May, Dr. Banner needs to talk to you."

"Dr. Banner would you like some coffee or tea?" she asked.

"Tea would be nice." Bruce sat at kitchen table. "We have a Keurig coffee maker because Tony is a coffee drinker and I don't go near the stuff."

"Why are you here?"

"Peter has some growths on his back. Not cancer - benign," said Bruce. "Nevertheless, they're inoperable because a slip of the knife could paralyze him or worse. A friend of mine is giving him chemotherapy to shrink the growths."

"Oh," said Aunt May.

"Peter, pull up your shirt. Let her see," said Bruce.

"I need to use the bathroom." Peter ran out of the room.

Bruce watched Peter go upstairs. Most likely to get his Spiderman uniform off. "He's been throwing up. My friend, Dr. Mariah Crawford, left her medicine with me and returned to Africa. He didn't want you knowing."

"You're going to laugh but I though you and Peter," said Aunt May.

"He's a nice boy. Tony and I teased about adopting him. Peter worries about you."

"Thank you for inviting Peter and me to Thanksgiving dinner."

"I would love Peter to intern under me, but he has the newspaper. You know how he is better than me."

Aunt May smiled. "Keep exposing him to science. He'll come around."

"Gwen and I were talking space/time and special relativity and we, totally, lost Peter."

"Peter told me that you and Gwen talk about time travel," said Aunt May.

"The math is a bit beyond Peter," said Bruce. "Gwen asked so many questions so fast that I forgot Peter was watching and listening. I'll try to include him next time."

Peter came downstairs. "I don't want her seeing."

Bruce said, "I can show her the x-rays. You're still under 18. She needs to know about your treatment."

Peter pulled up his hoodie, shirt and long sleeve undershirt.

Aunt May touched his back for a second. "He's going to be alright?"

"Yes, the therapy has already caused them to shrink a few millimeters," said Bruce.

Peter pulled his 3 layers of clothing back over his body. "No one in school knows. It's fall, so no one thinks its odd to wear long underwear, a polo shirt then a hoodie. No one can see my back ridges under all those clothes."

"You should have told me," said Aunt May.

"Tell you what," said Peter. "That I'm turning into a monster."

"Peter, you're being melodramatic," said Bruce. "Your growths should be gone in a few months of treatment."

"Aunt May, I should have told you that Dr. Crawford was giving me two shots a day," said Peter. "You must have wondered why I was leaving the house so early in the morning."

"Dr. Crawford was able to change the medicine to once a week, but the dosage is much stronger," explained Bruce. "Peter is losing his hair. He is also having problems with his sense of balance and he's throwing up. If Midtown Science has a hat policy, you may want to write them that he has a medical condition."

"Balance?" asked Aunt May. "Peter, are you dizzy?"

"The term is vertigo," said Peter. "And I walk near the wall and I feel better. Touching the wall also helps. I'm not dizzy now."

"I can ask to have you home tutored," said Aunt May.

"No, I want to go to school," said Peter. "I'm not missing my senior year."

"I have paperwork to give the school nurse." Bruce had added Dr. Crawford's name to the paperwork since Mariah didn't know Spiderman's true identity. It was all very official looking. "If the vertigo or nausea gets too bad, you can do your schoolwork in the nurse's office or a study hall. Peter, I trust you not to take advantage of people because you're ill."

"I won't take advantage. Thanks." After waving good-bye, Peter ran upstairs.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: I don't own Spiderman or the Avengers. They belong to Marvel.

xxxx

Bruce ran after him. Finding Peter in his bedroom, Bruce locked the door. "Peter, I have some bad news. What I believed to be arm buds may be false limbs. Your new limbs would most likely connect to your ribcage; however, the nerves need to run from your spine. So the lack of growth means nothing."

"Are you trying to tell me the medicine isn't working and my vertigo is caused by my body rewiring itself?"

Bruce said, "I'm afraid so. I'll tell Dr. Crawford of my findings. We can go back to twice a day."

"Twice a day then every hour. I can't." Peter started crying. "Dr. Banner, I want to be alone."

"I wish I knew about the vertigo before we gave you the chemo. I'm so sorry."

"Go. Please, go." Peter hid his face in his hands.

xxxx

In the middle of the night, Peter woke up with pain in his sides. Horrible pain. After forcing on his Spiderman outfit, he opened the window and climbed outside. The pain was growing worse. In an alley, Peter hugged himself and screamed. After the pain was gone, Peter had four new limbs.

Since he didn't know where else to turn, Peter went to Stark Tower. He climbed down a ceiling vent and into the penthouse. Jarvis must have sounded a silent alarm because Ironman was staring at him.

"Mr. Stark, I need to see Dr. Banner," said Peter hanging from the ceiling.

"Jarvis said we had an arachnid infestation and I told him I would handle it in the morning," Tony said between yawns. "Jarvis said it was one big spider and it couldn't wait. And I was thinking Shelob came to call. How disappointing."

"You are so funny that I forgot to laugh," said Peter.

"I'll make you a new outfit with four more sleeves," said Tony, removing his face plate. "Dr. Banner sleeps naked, so you need to give him a moment to get some clothes on."

"And you sleep in your Ironman suit?" Peter said with doubt in his voice.

"I wear my bracelets to sleep ever since some aliens caused Bruce to Hulk-out in his sleep," said Tony. "Ever since Loki, aliens think Earth is party-central. You tell Bruce that he isn't responsible for alien-influence, but Bruce has to be blunt Hulk-sized guilt. I can see you don't want to hear about my marital problems."

"Mr. Stark, it's nice to hear your side," said Peter. "I'm just hanging around."

"I'm sorry that we didn't know about the vertigo before giving you the IV," said Tony. "We could have avoided all this."

"On an episode of House, Foreman kills this girl because he mistakes an infection for cancer and leaves this poor girl without an immune system. At least, Dr. Banner didn't kill me." Peter had four more arms because Dr. Banner mistook new nerve endings growing out of his spine for arm buds. "While you're designing an outfit with more arms, you need to do something about my spinnerets. I rather not sit in my own silk."

"Tubing," said Tony. "You can teach yourself to shoot silk with your legs instead of your hands. You can follow me to the lab and we'll get right to work."

Crawling along the ceiling, Peter followed Tony.

In the lab, Tony removed his Ironman suit then dressed in a lab coat while Peter pretended not to notice that all Tony had on under his metal suit were boxer's shorts. Without missing a beat, Tony got to work designing a new Spiderman uniform.

Finally, Bruce joined them, dressed in his loafers, dress trousers, button-down shirt and lab coat.

Tony gave him a big hug and kiss. "I'm designing Peter a uniform with enough sleeves for all his arms and tubing for his spinnerets."

Looking up at Peter on the ceiling, Bruce adjusted his glasses then wrung his hands. "Peter, I am really sorry for misdiagnosing your symptoms, but they don't cover neogenic mutations in medical school. Dr. Crawford had no business leaving. She knew I wasn't qualified to handle your care."

"It isn't your fault," said Peter.

"You can call your aunt and tell her that you're staying with Tony and me for awhile," said Bruce.

"Aunt May can't see me like this." Peter leaped onto the floor.

Bruce gave him a stern look. "You can't hide from her forever."

Tony touched his lab coat over his chest; his finger clicked the casing of his arc reactor. "You will learn to live with who you are."

"J.J. Jameson can't see me like this," said Peter.

"I can build you a dark room here and you can use federal express or have Gwen or another friend deliver your photographs until you are comfortable with your body," said Tony. "You and Gwen are still having Thanksgiving dinner with us this Thursday."

"Jarvis, call my aunt," said Peter.

"Dialing," said Jarvis.

"Hello," said Aunt May's voice.

"Hello, this is Peter. I can't come home right now," said Peter. "My condition took a turn for the worse. Gwen is going to be with me, but you need to care for you."

"Peter, don't shut me out," said Aunt May.

"I'm a big boy - almost an adult," said Peter. "I need some space right now."

"Give the phone to Dr. Banner," said Aunt May.

"The phone is on intercom," said Bruce. "Let Peter have his space for a few days. I'll do my best to get him home. We push too hard and he'll run away."

"Peter Parker, until your eighteenth birthday, you're my responsibility," said Aunt May. "I know you're scared but Dr. Banner said the treatment was working."

"He was wrong. The new treatment failed. I can't see you right now. Please, try to understand. Good-bye." Peter started crying, silently, so his aunt wouldn't hear.

Dr. Banner said, "Mrs. Parker, your nephew needs some time to think. We'll talk later."

"We shall," said Aunt May.

Jarvis said, "The call was disconnected."

Needing his privacy, Peter left the room and used the elevator to go a sub-basement. Then he started building himself a web to rest on, still using his web-shooter to make silk. Then crying, he took his costume then underwear off to use his spinnerets to complete his new home. Finally, he climbed on the dry strands, made himself comfortable for the night and fell asleep, cold and naked.

xxxx

Author's Note: I had to add some witty comments from Tony. Those who don't know who Shelob is read _The Lord of the Rings_. The movies are good, but nothing compares to the books.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Notes: I don't own Spiderman or his friends. They are owned by Marvel.

xxxx

The later that morning, Tony, wearing his Ironman suit, greeted Peter. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Peter rubbed his eyes, while his six lower limbs held onto the web. "Yes, I did. I dreamed about catching flies." A joke. Peter then crawled down to the floor. "Standing makes me dizzy unless I'm holding onto a wall, but I can spin upside-down. It isn't fucking fair. In my head, I still feel like Peter."

"I'm going to connect the tubing to your spinnerets. Don't think I'm being fresh with you," said Tony.

"Where's Dr. Banner?" said Peter. "I am not having an engineer perform medical procedures on me."

"I asked Bruce to put on my suit, but he refused," said Tony. "He said something about being closed in, flying causing an adrenaline rush and destroying priceless equipment. You can be married to someone for five months and still learn new things. Who knew Brucie was claustrophobic? Him wearing my suit wasn't going to happen, which is a shame because we're nearly the same size. But he agreed to talk me through it."

"You're going to stay in your suit," said Peter.

"You can climb walls and your web," said Tony. "Without my suit, I can't chase after you. Although you may attack me because putting tubing in your spinnerets may be unpleasant to painful, I suited up because I need the mobility."

Now sitting on the floor, Peter said, "Can't you give me something for the pain?"

"After Dr. Crawford's treatment backfiring, Bruce doesn't want to give you as much as an aspirin. It will hurt less if you don't fight me. I'm sorry you won't be able to see my face, but I need to see my HUD for visual instructions to accompany Bruce's verbal ones."

Peter winched a bit when Tony installed the tubing, but he didn't cry or move away.

When Peter was dressed in his new uniform, Tony said, "You can move you legs to change the angle and you can use your hand to adjust the flow. None of your naughty parts are showing. If you want to return to chasing down that jewel thief, no one is keeping you here."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," said Peter. "I'll never be able to repay you."

"Catch that jewel thief," said Tony. "That's all the repayment I need."

Peter used the sewers to get outside then used his web-shooter on his wrist for aiming above. Eventually, he would learn how to turn his body to use his spinnerets to make silk for travel lines. If he moved the web-shooters Tony installed to his lower arms, he would have more control and would be able to shoot upward. He returned back to the sub-basement. "Jarvis, tell Tony I need the web-shooters on my arms. I can't aim up with my legs."

Tony came back to the sub-basement. Seeing Tony in his jeans and tee shirt meant Tony trusted him and didn't see Peter as a monster. Tony did say that the Ironman suit was for mobility, but Tony had seen Peter sleeping naked in a 20 foot web and that didn't bode well for Peter's mental state. Peter wasn't very sure about his mental state at the moment, but he didn't think he was dangerous to other people. Using a bit more tubing to make the adjustments, Tony worked on Peter's suit while he was wearing it.

After Tony was done with the adjustments, Peter shot a line to the ceiling using the silk his body was producing. Then he climbed up the line to the ceiling. "Perfect."

"Trail and error. You need to disconnect the tubing to use the bathroom." Tony shouted to Peter, "I need to show you where. You can climb down or I can get my suit and fly up to you."

Peter climbed down the web-line and onto the floor.

Tony showed him where to click. "A simple click then a turn and a click to reconnect. You try."

Peter unlocked the tubing then locked it.

"Easy-peasy," said Tony. "Do you want an earbug to talk to me?"

"I've always worked alone," said Peter.

"You can talk to Jarvis," said Tony. "He won't mind."

Peter smiled at Tony. "I'll keep that option open."

Tony tossed him a earbug.

Peter put the earbug on under his mask. "Thanks."

After waving to Mr. Stark, Peter left to find that jewel thief. Dr. Crawford's medication failed. However, the intestinal pain was gone, meaning he, probably, wasn't going to mutant any further. Peter was going to have eight limbs and make his own silk for the rest of his life. That IV he got yesterday was still causing his hair to fall out. Since his costume kept him covered from head to toe, no one would see him balding.

Outside a jewelry store, Peter saw a man in a green sweatsuit and sunglasses with metal-tentacles attached to his back. Either he escaped from the police or the police only found his remote controller and didn't find the man operating it.

"Hello," said Peter, clinging to the side of a building.

"Thanks to you," said the man. "The police confiscated my toys."

"You shouldn't have been using them to steal," said Peter.

"I need the diamonds for my research," said the man.

"Then you ask a university for a grant like everyone else," said Peter.

"And you applied for a grant for your new costume?" said the man.

Peter smiled although the man couldn't see it under his mask. "I have a sponsor."

"Lucky you," said the man. "Stop following me, so I can get to work."

"Would you rather the police follow you?" Peter climbed a bit higher to stay out of the man's reach.

"From what I hear, the police would love to put you in a cage," said the man.

"They have to catch me first," said Peter.

"Since the police want both of us, working together could be beneficial. What do you say?" The man offered Peter his hand to shake.

Peter stayed out of reach. "I don't work with crooks."

"Why don't you follow me then? Maybe, your sponsor would like to support my research. I'm working on improving my remote arms. Arms like mine would change undersea exploration and improve space exploration. Could you imagine what a martian rover could do with my arms?"

"If I have my sponsor look at your research, you won't steal anymore diamonds," said Peter.

"I'm a scientist," said the man. "Stealing is beneath me, but you do what you must."

"Do you have a name? I'm Spiderman."

"Dr. Octavius," said the man.

"Nice to meet you." Peter wouldn't be able to take any pictures since he left his camera at home. Later, today, he would have to collect it when Aunt May was out. Peter followed the man to the lab, crawling from building to building.

"Can you walk?" asked Dr. Octavius.

Peter shook his head.

"You walked when I saw you at the Diamond Exchange."

"I've grown a few more limbs since then," said Peter.

Octavius offered Peter his hand. "Us freaks need to stick together."

Peter crawled down to Dr. Octavius's level and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Octavius." Peter leaped onto the pavement. "I'm going to try to stand." Peter used his multiple hands to lean on the wall as he sat up then stood then he slowly walked beside Dr. Octavius. "We need to return the diamonds."

"I'll be arrested," said Dr. Octavius.

"I'll handle it," said Peter. They talked as they walked the rest of the way to Dr. Octavius's lab. In the lab, Peter found a ceiling to hang off of. "My web is in the sewers under my sponsor's home. I'll try not to get too comfortable here, so you won't have to clean up my cobwebs." A lot under since his sponsor lived in a penthouse and whole building separated them.

A lady entered the lab.

Dr. Octavius said, "This is Mary Alice. Mary Alice, Spiderman."

"Do they call you something else?" asked the woman.

"Spidey." Peter shrugged his shoulders. "I need you to return the diamonds. When I know you're coming clean, we'll talk more."

Mary Alice showed him the diamonds and told Spiderman the names of the jewelery stores.

"Jewelery stores have surveillance cameras," said Peter. "Why don't I just give the police the jewelery with a note?"

"You write the note," said Mary Alice.

"Sure." Peter wrote that he found the jewelery discarded and signed it "Your friendly neighborhood Spiderman." Still wearing his gloves, Peter put all the jewelery in a box and went to the nearest police station to drop it off. After he placed the box with the note in front of the police station, Peter web-slung out of there before he could be caught. Finally, after watching the police take the box inside from a safe distance, Peter went back to Octavius's lab. "I'm going to be in the news tonight, but it's done."

"Would you like something to eat?" asked Mary Alice.

"I need to take my mask off," said Peter.

"Do I know you?" asked Mary Alice.

"No," said Peter.

"Then what's the problem?" asked Mary Alice.

"The last time I saw myself in the mirror I had only four limbs. What if the mutation isn't limited to my arms?" Peter touched his mask, feeling his face underneath. It felt the same. "I should see myself in a mirror before I let anyone else look."

"I wasn't thinking," said Mary Alice. "Still you need to eat. Do you catch bugs or do you eat normal stuff?"

Peter caught a cockroach, creeping along the wall, with one of his six hands. These old buildings in New York were full of them, especially with them wanting to escape the cold outside. It didn't look as unappetizing as it would have a few days ago. After lifting up his mask enough to show his mouth, he put the bug in his mouth and chewed it. Thinking about the hamburger he threw up, Peter was grateful that the mask hid his tears. Peter swallowed. "I eat bugs."

"Then you need to catch your own lunch," said Mary Alice.

Peter pulled down his mask over his mouth then chin. "Dr. Octavius, show me your work, so I have something to tell my sponsor and, even if he can't sponsor you himself, he may know which universities to contact."

Octavius said, "I'm working on improving my remote arms. I wanted the diamonds to make a cutting arm. Something to slice through solid rock."

Peter watched the scientist work for the rest of the day from his spot on the ceiling. While the scientist and his female assistant/girlfriend were eating lunch, Peter called Tony about getting Dr. Octavius a position. When Dr. Octavius and Mary Alice called it a night, Peter web slung back to his web under Stark Tower. While he was gone a bird and rats got stuck in his web, Peter wouldn't go hungry tonight.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: I don't own Spiderman or his friends.

xxxx

After he wrapped his food in webbing, Peter spit on the first rat to soften it up a bit. Then he totally removed his mask. He had bald patches but he still had some hair on his head. He still had teeth and wouldn't need to dissolve his food like a true spider. While eating the raw meat partially dissolved by his own stomach acid, Peter told himself he wouldn't cry.

Peter was chewing the meat off the bones of a small bird when Bruce entered the large cavern.

"Don't stop eating on my account," said Bruce.

"I'm starting to pre-digest my food," said Peter. "I can't have Thanksgiving dinner with you. Your other guests will find my table manners vile."

"I'm sorry," said Bruce.

"No more stomach pain and my hair stopped falling out, My mutation going into overdrive must have made me metabolize Dr. Crawford's chemo right out of my system." Peter finished eating the bird, only leaving over a few feathers. "I'm going to have another rat for dessert. You can watch if you like. I'm sure Jarvis is recording everything."

"I saw the bones on your back getting smaller as a good thing," said Bruce. "That the chemo was working. Your spinner also got a bit smaller, so it was working for a short time."

Peter stopped spitting digestive juices on his food for a second. "When it failed, it failed. If hunger wasn't such a powerful motivator, I couldn't watch me eat."

Bruce sat a bit away from the web. "I am sorry."

Peter used his two upper hands to bring the acid cooked meat into his mouth, being careful only to touch the silk covering with his gloves. His other hands and legs held onto his web. His back was turned toward from Bruce as he ate. It was like his four new arms were always part of him. His whole body worked together. After he swallowed the food in his mouth and licked any remaining bits of rat off his lips, Peter said, "Did you hear from Dr. Crawford?"

"She's on her way here," said Bruce. "She will have to look over her notes to understand what went wrong."

"I feel good." Peter smiled. "Better than I have in weeks. Thank you for not letting me become a monster."

Bruce said, "I failed."

"So I have eight limbs, make silk from holes in my ass and spit on my food to pre-digest it." Peter pointed to his head. "In here, I'm still me. There's this country song. I can't remember the name right now where this old man is standing by the ruins of his house and says that ain't nothing. My uncle that I loved like a father died because I didn't prevent his killer from robbing a store when I had the chance. That was something. This is nothing. Uncle Ben mattered." Peter wiped his face with his hand.

"Gwen wants to see you," said Bruce. "I told her I have to ask you."

"You could have had Jarvis ask."

"I figured you would appreciate the personal touch."

"I'll be up after I eat." Peter suggested, "We can hang out in your room."

"No pot," said Bruce.

"She'll want pot after I tell her that I made a 20 foot tall web with my butt."

"She isn't getting any," said Bruce.

Peter climbed down. "I'm still a bit hungry, but Gwen comes first. I wrapped more rats for later."

Bruce said, "I can buy you whole chickens to eat. You don't have to eat rats."

"I caught the rats in my web. They're mine." Crawling on his belly, Peter looked up at Bruce, knowing that Bruce wasn't going to steal his food nor was Bruce implying that Peter couldn't catch enough food to feed himself then why did Peter take Bruce wanting to help out as an insult? "I didn't mean it that way."

"Yes, you did." Bruce looked at his feet in his brown slip-on loafers. "I'm the last person to judge you. I hear the other guy in my head most of the time. I carry his anger with me. So I know what it's like to have your humanity pulled away from you and feel like there is nothing you can do about it. What you did for that Dr. Octavius was nice."

"He's about your height, chubby and near-sighted," said Peter. "He wouldn't survive a day in prison."

"Can you stand?"

"Sure." Peter had crawled over to Bruce. "Take an hand. Any hand and help me up." Bruce offered Peter a hand and Peter took it with his original right hand. Using Bruce to assist, Peter stood. Peter held Bruce's hand in the elevator.

Gwen greeted Peter as they exited the elevator. She wrapped her arms around him and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. Peter kept his lips closed but accepted the kisses. "Do I do anything to upset you?"

Peter shook his head. "I can't open-mouth kiss you. I vomit stomach acid strong enough to make rat soup. I would hate myself if I burnt off part of your face by mistake."

"Oh my God, Peter," said Gwen.

"I'm still mutating." Peter held Gwen close to him with all six of his arms. "Neogentic mutation is a lot like cancer. My cells aren't going to say they've done enough damage to my body and stop. One of my major organ systems will eventually fail and I will die. You're a brilliant girl. You know this."

Gwen said, "Let's sit down."

Bruce opened the door to the penthouse and Gwen followed Peter inside. Peter, a bit shaky on his legs, felt a bit better seated on the sofa. Gwen cuddled up to him. Bruce waved good-bye to them and left.

"I'm not in pain right now, so I'm hoping that means my mutation rate is slower now that my body isn't fighting any drugs trying to stop the mutation. I could continue as I am for several months or I could die of cardiac arrest tomorrow. Since I don't believe in God, I don't have any higher power to make peace with. When my time comes, I will just stop."

Gwen started crying.

"Gwen, I'm good. I saved a man from a life of crime earlier today. This scientist, who lost his job due to causing an accident in the research facility he was working at, was stealing diamonds to make a saw. I returned the diamonds and Tony called around. We found the man a situation at Empire State College." Peter rubbed the tears off of Gwen's face.

"That's nice," said Gwen.

"My seventeen years on planet Earth weren't in vain," said Peter. "I can still make a difference in people's lives. I feel sorry for Aunt May. She'll have to bury me so soon after losing Uncle Ben. Find yourself a nice guy to date. Not Flash."

Gwen touched Peter's cheek then ran her fingers through the largest patch of hair on Peter's head not to fall out. "Peter, Dr. Crawford is returning to New York and I saved the information on the Oscorp computers onto a flash drive. If we can turn lizard people back to human, we can reverse your mutation. I'll work with Dr. Banner and Dr. Crawford to find you a cure."

Peter held her with his original two arms and let his other arms go limp. "I'd like my end to be peaceful in my sleep, if possible. I don't want to die in pain."

"Peter, your aunt May doesn't understand why you won't see her. What do you want me to tell her?"

"You'll think of something."

"No more talk of dying. I will find you a cure."

"Dr. Crawford is a brilliant scientist and all she did was cause my mutation to go into overdrive. If working on a cure will make you feel useful, then do your best. I tried to track down Uncle Ben's killer more because I couldn't stand around and do nothing than any other reason. Gwen, do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel less helpless." Peter liked the feel of Gwen's body resting against his. Gwen couldn't will him to live, but Peter didn't want to argue the point. Peter knew what feeling helpless could do. When Uncle Ben was killed, Peter had to act - he needed to do something - anything. "Gwen, I love you."

"I love you, too." Gwen would be acting from love when Peter put on a mask to track down Uncle Ben's killer because of guilt. Love was a purer emotion that guilt. Peter could live with that.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" asked Peter. "I'm sure Mr. Stark has all the premium movie channels."

"You find a movie," said Gwen.

Peter flipped through the movie channels holding the remote with his middle right hand while still holding Gwen with his upper hands.

"Dr. Banner had said your arms were functional," said Gwen. "But that is amazing."

"When I'm climbing a building or a web-line, my body works as it should. I don't think about it anymore than you think about walking." Peter stopped channel surfing on a romantic comedy just starting. After putting down the remote, Peter said, "I can hug you with all my arms or I can continue to let my lower arms hang limp at my sides. Your choice."

"No offense, but all those arms might be suffocating."

"Let's just watch the movie." Peter hugged her with his original arms a bit longer than he just watched the movie with Gwen leaning on him, although he did take his eyes off the movie a lot to watch Gwen watching the movie.

While the credits were rolling, Gwen said, "I better be going. I'll get working on your cure after school tomorrow."

Keeping his mouth closed, Peter gave Gwen a peck on the cheek. "Good-bye, Gwen."

After Gwen left, Peter got his mask from the basement and returned to crime-fighting. No jewelery stores were robbed, so Dr. Octavius kept his word about turning over a new leaf. Some people were doing their early Christmas shopping by stealing from parked cars. The merchandize was returned and the crooks caught by the police thanks to Spiderman.

Peter had a late dinner of a few cockroaches and plump juicy rats then went to sleep in his web. Making sure Aunt May was out of the house doing her morning errands, Peter went in through his bedroom window to get his backpack and camera.

Tony came to the sub-basement to find Peter taking pictures of himself with his automatic camera.

Peter jumped down. "I have to document my life. No one else will."

"Pete, after the Thanksgiving holiday, you need to consider returning to school."

Peter lifted his head up to look at Tony. "I'm too top heavy. My center of gravity is off. The other kids will knock me over and laugh at me when I crawl to a wall or desk to pull myself up."

"Then get your GED," said Tony. "I was in MIT by your age. Your life isn't over. The ADA means no one can discriminate against you because you have a disability. If Triple J says anything, I'll hire you a lawyer."

"He hates Spiderman."

"You can wear normal pants over your suit," explained Tony. "My tailor can take your measurements and make you shirts and a hoodie, if you like. You wear your jeans and hoodie and go to work. You remember ADA and stare down Mr. Jameson."

"I can't."

"You're a strong kid. We'll wait till Monday. Enjoy the long weekend."

"I'm changing into a spider. This isn't a missing limb."

"You have a surplus of limbs."

"You said I could have Gwen or Federal Express deliver my photos."

"You face purse-snatchers, burglars, and rapists on a daily basis. You can face your boss."

"He's scarier. JJ is the only person I call Sir."

Tony sat on the floor to be at Peter's level. "Us vigilantes have to stick together. The government tried to seize my Ironman suit. I told them that I'm Ironman, not the suit."

Peter rolled his eyes, which Tony couldn't see due to the mask.

"You may one of the few people that comes close to me when it comes to spacial awareness. You fly when you swing web to web. I have to be aware of my roll, yaw and pitch. Without that, I would just spin out of control."

"The world has always known you as Ironman."

"A little secret. I was told to lie by my PR about Ironman, but I refused. It isn't easy to come out of the closet. It's safe in there, cozy. You need to be Peter. Take it from a diva. We all need downtime when you are just you."

"My downtime is swinging building to building. Nothing is more freeing."

"Then why are you sitting in the shadows?"

"Because I just got my camera back and I need to take pictures."

"Take your pictures. I'll sit and watch."

xxxx

Author's Note:"_This Ain't Nothin_" was written by Chris DuBois and Kerry Kurt Phillips, and recorded by American country music artist Craig Morgan. Peter isn't a country music fan, but he might have heard the song in passing.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: I don't own Spiderman or his friends. Marvel does.

xxxx

Bringing the flash drive to Stark Tower, Gwen Stacy got to work on recreating a serum to reverse mutations caused by neogenic DNA. While they were busy at work, Gwen said, "Peter told me he's dying."

"I told Peter than my aunt used to say that God doesn't give us more than we can handle," said Bruce. "I also told him that wasn't true. Peter sleeps on a spider web and eats vermin. He may see death as his only escape."

"Have you seen death as an escape?" asked Gwen.

"Yes, but I have since learned that I can't kill myself," said Bruce. "So I've grown past it."

"Where's Dr. Crawford?" asked Gwen.

"In an airport in Madrid, I believe," said Bruce. "Jarvis, can you tell me Dr. Crawford's estimated time of arrival?"

"She should be at Newark Airport at 2:14 AM," said the AI.

"I don't have school tomorrow due to the holiday. Can I come to the airport with you?"

"Dr. Crawford doesn't know Spiderman's real name," said Bruce.

"I won't tell her if you don't," said Gwen.

About one o'clock in the morning, Gwen had something. While Bruce was going to the bathroom, Gwen went down to the sub-basement to find Peter wrapping prey in silk. She hated sneaking in off, but Bruce would understand. This was something she had to do alone.

Peter climbed down. "I'll eat later."

"You made that beautiful web, hanging upside down from fibers coming out of your ass?" said Gwen.

Peter shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I did. I started to build it with the web-shooter, but I took my clothes off and let nature do the rest. It's very freeing to let instinct take over and just be me."

Gwen took the syringe from her bag. "I'm going to inject you with this. You may no longer be Spiderman and will just be plain ordinary Peter Parker."

"I'm good with that," said Peter. "Gwen, you're going to need to pull some tubing out of two holes near my ass. I don't want to have to explain to the doctors why I need surgery down there."

"I'll rather have Dr. Banner do it," said Gwen. So much for going at it alone. "Jarvis, is Dr. Banner still in the building?"

"Miss Stacy, Dr. Banner has left the tower," reported the AI.

Bruce must have asked Jarvis for Gwen's location. He wouldn't just go to the airport without her. Since he didn't ask Jarvis to stop her, Bruce was giving Gwen his silent approval.

"Mr. Stark installed the tubing," said Peter. "He can remove it. Jarvis?"

"Spiderman, I'll get right on it," said the AI.

After Tony arrived, Gwen left the area since she didn't want to see Peter naked. Gwen found herself pacing from nerves. If the serum failed, Peter couldn't be any worse. He was already dying. She had that on her side. Still she was just a teenager and Dr. Crawford's treatments had failed.

Still Dr. Banner helped her with the formula, but it was her formula - her work. Dr. Banner had only assisted. Jarvis also assisted. An AI didn't care that she was only seventeen and a senior in high school. The AI acted like she was a learned scientist with several doctorates.

In what felt like hours, but was only minutes according to the time on her cellphone, Tony walked over to her. "He's in pain and bleeding a little," explained Tony. "He'll be fine. Installing tubing is engineering, removing it is a bit more medical, even though I designed the tubing to be easily removed."

"Does he have pants on?" asked Gwen.

"I had to cut off the lower part of his costume, but he put some boxer's on."

Gwen followed the middle-aged man in a band tee shirt and pajama pants back to the sub-basement where Peter's web was. She watched Peter crawl over to her. His underpants had spots of blood on them but spots weren't the same thing as puddles of blood and that meant he didn't bleed too much.

She bent down to take his upper right hand and hold it. "Peter, the butt or the arm."

Peter pulled down his boxer shorts. "My butt."

Gwen looked at his behind, keeping her eyes away from his private parts. Then she stuck the needle in the fleshy part and gave him the shot. Within a few seconds, Peter was curled in a ball crying in pain. Then she watched as his four extra arms got smaller until they, finally, disappeared as his spinnerets also vanished. He still had the bald patches on his head, but that was due to the chemotherapy and had nothing to do with his mutations. His hair would grow back.

She took Tony's arm as she watched Peter sleep. "It's over."

"I feel like I just watched_ Star Trek: The Next Generation_," said Tony. "A teenager did what a group of adults couldn't. I can bring a cot down here for you to sleep. I'm sure you don't want to leave his side."

Gwen held herself to keep in the shivering. "And some blankets for both of us." After pulling up Peter's boxer's shorts, Gwen curled up near Peter to borrow his warmth until Tony returned with the blankets and a cot.

Gwen didn't use the cot. Instead, she let Tony cover both her and Peter with the blankets and she fell asleep on the floor beside Peter.

xxxx

I had to have Tony make a remark about Wesley Crusher saving the day. Having Gwen save Peter just felt right. I also like that she races to see Peter when she should be heading to the airport with Bruce. Gwen must be of the better to ask for forgiveness then permission school of thought. Comments, please. Tell me if I made the right choice.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: I don't own Spidey or his friends.

xxxx

After helping Mariah settle into an apartment like the one he used when he first came to the tower, Bruce walked over to see the two teenagers asleep on the cold basement floor. Bruce had Jarvis call May Parker. "Mrs. Parker, the new medicine worked. Peter would like it if you came to Thanksgiving dinner. Also bring clothes. He, probably, doesn't want to eat turkey in a hospital gown."

"Thanks for the call," said May.

"He didn't want you watching him die," said Bruce. "He was trying to protect you."

"You do your best to protect them," said May. "And they want to protect you. Ben and I did something right with that boy. I'll be over with the clothes. I couldn't go back to sleep right now if I wanted to."

"Do you need the limo to pick you up?" asked Bruce.

"Thank you. When should I expect it?"

"Happy should still be in the tower," said Bruce. "I can give you an exact time after I locate him."

xxxx

Peter woke to Jarvis saying, "Mr. Parker, Mrs. Parker wants to see you. What should I tell her?"

"I'll be up to see her," Peter said.

Gwen rubbed her eyes. "Peter, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Great. I need to get the remains of my Spiderman uniform off and meet my aunt in my underwear. I'm back to having only two arms. Your serum worked." Peter gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you so much."

"I hated seeing you in pain," said Gwen.

Peter picked her up and hugged her. "You saved my life. I could never thank you enough."

Gwen said, "Don't I get a proper kiss?"

"Let me brush my teeth and use mouthwash. I could still have a bit of meat-dissolving acid in my mouth. And my breath must be horrible."

Gwen had no choice but to say, "OK."

As Peter pulled the remains of his costume over his head, he felt a bit sleepy but he felt healthy. "I liked being Spiderman, but I was just plain Peter Parker for over sixteen years. I've learned too much over the past few months to return to being that dork. Today and everyday after it is a gift from you because you didn't give up on me."

Gwen blushed.

Peter wrapped himself in a blanket. "Gwen, you should stay down here. We greet my aunt with me nearly naked and she'll get the wrong idea."

"Jarvis will tell me when it's safe to join you," Gwen gave Peter a quick embrace. "You go see your aunt."

In the penthouse living room, Aunt May ran over to Peter and hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Aunt May," Peter said, returning the hug.

"I bought you clothes," said Aunt May.

"Thanks." The blanket dropped when Peter let go of his aunt. He turned around. "The back ridges are gone. I'm all better."

"I can see that," said Aunt May. "Your color is good. You look so much better than when Dr. Banner told me you were sick."

"I'm going to go to the spare bedroom to dress now," said Peter. "We'll talk over breakfast after I'm decent."

"How did you get blood in your underwear?" said Aunt May.

"I pulled my catheter out. Stupid, huh?" Peter took the suitcase then waved to his aunt before running into the yoga room to dress. He hoped Aunt May didn't see his Spiderman uniforms. Then he hid them well or thought he did. He was in so much pain that he could have left them in plain sight and only thought he hid them. After he dressed in a tee shirt and jeans, he looked at himself in the mirror. The bald spots has some short hair growing in. He didn't look too bad, considering. Then he put on a hoodie to hide his hair. Finally, he put socks on his feet and went back to the living room. "Jarvis call Gwen. Gwen helped Dr. Banner with my treatment."

Dr. Banner came into the living room. "I'm making pancakes. I figured Peter would be starved after last night."

"Peter says you have the penthouse cleaned by robots," said Aunt May.

"I also pick up and do some basic cleaning," said Bruce. "It's safer for everyone to stay out of Dummy's way when he's cleaning. Tony calls him Dummy for a reason."

"I thought two eccentric scientists would have sci-fi posters on the wall or something," said Aunt May. "This penthouse is very conservative in style."

"We can bring up computer graphics on the glass table," said Bruce. "And holo-screens can drop down. You'd be surprised. Not to mention, we have two robot servants."

"Isn't Carrie Ann designed to be a medical robot?" asked Aunt May.

"She is. Tony has shrapnel in his chest, so having a medical robot on standby has its benefits. She cooks, cleans and does other household chores because I'm not going to have a perfectly useful robot collect dust." Bruce looked at the kitchen. "Here I am talking while my pancake batter is getting flat."

Aunt May said, "I'll join you in the kitchen."

"I'd like the company." Bruce pointed the way.

Peter got the remote from the glass table and turned on the television to watch the early morning news. Gwen came upstairs. After sitting beside him on the sofa, she put a hand on his knee.

"Did you wash your breath?" she asked.

Peter gave her another peck on the cheek. "I forgot." Then he ran to the bathroom to use some mouthwash. No toothbrush or mouthwash in the guest bathroom. There was a jar of antacids in the medicine cabinet. Peter ate a few. Then he raced back to the living room, wrapped his arms around Gwen and kissed her properly.

A few hours later, Mariah Crawford had joined them.

Bruce said, "This is Gwen Stacy. She's my new intern. This is her boyfriend, Peter Parker, and his aunt, May Parker."

Mariah said, "Hello, I'm Dr. Mariah Crawford. It is nice to meet you."

Bruce said, "Tony's chauffeur, Happy Hogan, and his girlfriend, Pepper Potts, will be joining us for dinner. Ms. Potts is also Tony's CEO and partner. Steve Rogers, a young artist, will also be joining us. Mr. Parker is a talented photographer, so I'm sure he and Mr. Rogers will have plenty to talk about."

"Does Mr. Rogers have a plus-one?" asked Mariah.

"He was expecting to have dinner with his girlfriend but they broke up, so I invited him here," said Bruce. "Tony was the more the merrier."

"Hello, Dr. Crawford," said Gwen. "Dr. Banner said nice things about you."

Aunt May said, "Dr. Banner, you and I talked about encouraging Peter's interest in science and you invite an artist to dinner."

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "I invited Steve before I met Gwen and Peter."

"Aunt May, photography is my life," said Peter. "Dr. Banner, tell Mr. Rogers to come over early and bring some of his work."

"He has some posted on the internet." Bruce brought up a display on the glass table and searched the browser for Steve's latest work while Peter watched.

Aunt May shook her head.

Peter looked at the World War II drawings and some of Steve's modern work. "I'm selling my photos to the Bugle. I'm not a starving artist and, even if I was, don't you want me to be doing what I love?"

Aunt May looked at the drawings. "Your friend has talent. Why the fascination with War World II? His bio says he's 24."

"You can ask him when he arrives," said Bruce. "Steve's a bit shy, especially around beautiful women."

Aunt May smiled. "Dr. Banner, you flatter me. Is Steve an old lover?"

"No, he's disturbingly straight. Why all of the young artists I met straight when the art world is full of gay men?" Bruce teased.

Tony entered the room and kissed Bruce. After they necked for over a minute, totally embarrassing Peter, who still got embarrassed seeing straight people kiss like that, Tony said, "No more gawking at young artists. You have me."

"If I stop gawking, bury me," said Bruce. "Because I'm dead."

Peter whispered to Aunt May, "Dr. Banner is bi. A sexy cashier at a fruit stand had him blushing then everyone knows about the women and men Mr. Stark has been with."

Bruce had returned to kissing Tony while Peter was whispering to his aunt.

Peter wanted to continue to look at Steve Rogers's art, but looking at the two middle-aged men make-out was like looking at a train wreck. He knew better, but he couldn't look away.

Dr. Crawford must have also been embarrassed by all the kissing because she touched Peter's shoulder and said, "So you're the young man that interviewed Dr. Banner?"

"My first interview," said Peter.

xxxx

Peter enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner around the crowded table. It was nice to be plain old Peter, again. He even liked the disapproving stares Aunt May gave him each time he held Gwen's hand under the table. On the way home, Aunt May talked about never being in a penthouse before and all the art being from artists she never heard of, but Mr. Stark knew all the artists and their stories.

"Mr. Stark likes sponsoring young talent," said Peter, "Also, when Mr. Stark thought he was dying a few years back, he gave away all his modern art to the Boy Scouts."

Aunt May laughed. "You're joking. A gay atheist gave his art collection to the Boy Scouts."

"He must have had a reason. With Mr. Stark, who knows?" Peter wasn't about to tell his aunt that most of the art (if not all the art) in the mansion was picked out by Pepper and Tony had no emotional investment in it. "All the art in the penthouse was bought in the last six months. New home, new art. It's kind of sweet."

"Do they want your photos on their walls?"

"I need to take more artsy photos," said Peter. "Most of my work is for the Bugle or the yearbook. I would just die if a gallery wanted to show my work."

"I saw you talking to Steve all night," said Aunt May. "Three scientists in the room and you talk to the artist. I wasn't born yesterday. Peter, Dr. Banner told me you nearly died. You were given a second chance. Do what you love."

That night, after dressing for bed, Peter leaped for joy because Aunt May would no longer be bothering him about his plans for college, causing him to stick to the ceiling. He climbed into his bed to rest. Tomorrow, he would return to crime-fighting. Black Friday meant people carrying lots of money and holiday packages for crooks to steal from shopping carts and out of locked cars. His spider sense would be tingling all day.

The end?

Author's Note: Doc Ock (Dr. Octavius) is going to screw it up and return to a life of crime, but for now he's working at ESC. Since this story ends on Black Friday, I will eventually write a story that takes into account that the events of Iron Man 3. But I do not intend to rewrite the whole script. After I see Iron Man 3 a few more times, I'll write something. I may take a cue from the movie and have Tony tell Bruce what happened. When Bruce falls asleep is up to me. (Insert evil laughter.)


	18. teaser for Iron Man fan fiction

Author's Note: I don't own Iron Man or the other Marvel characters.

xxxx

Bruce run over to Dummy after Tony dragged the water-logged robot to the terrace where the manor used to look over the ocean. "You poor robot," Bruce cried. "You look like something the cat dragged in."

"Doesn't your hubby get a hug?" said Tony.

"Poor Dummy - you make him wear a dunce cap and now he's covered in kelp and barnacles. Tony, you can take care of yourself. Dummy is defenseless."

"We need to talk," said Tony.

"I'll have to look at my schedule. Maybe, we can do lunch." Bruce kissed Tony on the lips then wrapped his arms around him for a proper kiss. "Pepper and I have a company to run. Your company, if I'm not mistaken."

Tony put his arms around Bruce to steal another kiss. "I'll make it up to you."

"Lunch." Bruce walked toward the Audi then stopped and waved. After sitting in the car, Bruce took some calming breaths and told himself he was more worried about Tony then angry. It was just worry. As Bruce said, Tony can take care of himself. Bruce had to get to work. His inbox wasn't going to empty while he was sitting in his car.

xxxx

Author's Note: This is just a plot bunny. It may not end up in the final fiction when I choose to write it. In my series, Happy and Pepper are together, so that changes the story immensely since they don't even like each other in Iron Man 3. I do like the idea of Tony telling Bruce the story and Bruce falling asleep on him since I had Bruce fall asleep during their first date back in _Safety First. __  
_


End file.
